Cabinet Office

Civil Servants: Recruitment

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of graduates of the Fast Stream were (a) eligible and (b) not eligible for free school meals in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Quin: We do not hold data for Fast Stream participants who have graduated in the last five years in respect of free school meal eligibility.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Marine Animals: Nature Reserves

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating a series of marine national parks to improve marine biodiversity.

Trudy Harrison: While some countries designate marine parks, domestically, we have created a series of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to protect our marine biodiversity. This is an extensive network of 178 sites covering 40% of English waters. Our MPA network represents the range of species and habitats found in our seas. We continue to support local initiatives such as the proposed Marine Park in waters around Plymouth, and will consider the contribution of such projects to our environmental goals such as 30by30. To complement the MPA network, the first three Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) in English waters were designated on 14 June 2023 and will come into force on 5 July 2023. HPMAs will provide the highest levels of protection in our seas, allowing nature to fully recover to a more natural state and helping the ecosystem to thrive. Internationally, we are also leading global efforts to protect the ocean. We welcome the agreement of the Convention on Biological Diversity Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which sets out a clear mission: to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. As Ocean Co-Chair of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature & People, and our leadership of the Global Ocean Alliance, we continue to champion the GBF Target 3 to effectively conserve and manage at least 30% of the land and 30% of the ocean globally by 2030 (30by30), including the move to support implementation through facilitating knowledge-sharing and match-making financial and technical assistance. The adoption of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement on 19 June will also lead to much greater protection for the two-thirds of the global ocean that lies beyond national jurisdiction, therefore playing a key role in achieving the 30by30 target the UK will work to ratify the Agreement as soon as practicable, whilst supporting others to do the same. The UK’s Blue Planet Fund, a £500 million programme, supports developing countries to protect the marine environment and reduce poverty, by tackling threats to ocean health such as illegal fishing, pollution and climate change; and at the UN Ocean conference in 2022, we committed up to £100 million of Blue Planet Funding to support the implementation, management and enforcement of Marine Protected Areas.

Rural Areas: Crime

Richard Foord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she last met the Neighbourhood Watch Network to discuss rural crime.

Trudy Harrison: The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has not met the Neighbourhood Watch Network on rural crime issues.

Packaging: Recycling

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that extended producer responsibility requirements are implemented fairly.

Rebecca Pow: An extensive programme of engagement remains ongoing with between Defra and the many organisations obligated by the Extended Producer Responsibility requirements. Our intention has been to ensure that our stakeholders feel that not only are they heard, but that we are taking their concerns on board. Engagement has so far included an eight-week series of ‘vision sprints’, regular, dedicated forums for business, local authorities and compliance groups, a programme-focused monthly newsletter to keep stakeholders updated, topic-specific webinars and, more recently, 1-to-1 conversations around co-design. Separately, in recent weeks I have also met with my equivalent ministers in the Devolved Administrations to, again, listen to their concerns as we move forward together. Throughout this engagement we are determined to ensure our reforms are balanced and proportionate and take into account a wide breadth of views. In implementing the reforms we will continue to engage widely with all interested stakeholders to develop a scheme that has broad buy-in from across the sector.

Thames Water: Land

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the value is of land (a) given and (b) sold by the Government to Thames Water since 2010.

Rebecca Pow: The available records show that the Department has neither gifted nor sold any land to Thames Water since 2010. Our principal non-departmental public body, the Environment Agency, has a closer working relationship with Water Companies. The relationship arises under the Water Industries Act 1989. The Agency has confirmed that since 2010 it has completed two transactions involving the transfer of infrastructure land to Thames Water listed: a) Land givenA zero-sum transfer of an observation borehole site located on High Street, Meysey Hampton, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 5JP on 31/07/2015. This borehole site (located at a Thames Water pumping station complex) was incorrectly registered to the National Rivers Authority (as was) in 1989, and ownership was subsequently transferred to Thames Water in 2015. b) Land soldDisposal of a pumping station site adjacent to 21 Esher Road, East Molesey, Surrey, KT8 0AH on 04/09/2013 for £100.

Ofwat: Managers

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether business appointment and governance rules apply to senior managers within Ofwat seeking to take up senior positions within companies regulated by that regulator.

Rebecca Pow: Ofwat rightly recruits people on the basis of their skills and experience which help them to hold water companies to account. All Ofwat employees are subject to the civil service rules on independence, probity and propriety as part of their Code of Conduct applicable to all employees. The code of conduct covers the fact that on appointment and when leaving Ofwat, they are bound by the provisions of Criminal Law, including the Official Secrets Act. As Civil Servants, the Business Appointment Rules (BAR) assess any concerns related to appointments sought by existing and former employees. Under the BAR, restrictions on taking up appointments may be required. Depending on the role and/or organisation someone is moving to outside of the Civil Service, Ofwat may need to place restrictions / conditions on them. This can include taking measures to remove them from pieces of work, meetings, access to systems and/or documents whilst they serve their notice. The rules can also apply for either 1 or 2 years after leaving the Civil Service (depending on the level of role) and Ofwat may put in place temporary restrictions on the type of work they can do for their new employer or require a delay in their start date. Any new employer will be notified of the restrictions. Ofwat is solely responsible for assessing whether an application under the BAR rules is required and taking its own decisions.

Animal Welfare: Veterinary Services

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will make an estimate of number of qualified vets needed by 2028 to deal with animal welfare issues.

Mark Spencer: The Royal Colleague of Veterinary Surgeons is currently undertaking workforce modelling across the veterinary sector, which will provide estimated numbers for future veterinary demand and capacity. This includes any future need around animal welfare.

Home Office

Asylum: Children

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) capacity to inspect hotels housing unaccompanied children and (b) child safeguarding expertise of (i) Ofsted and (ii) the independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration; and if she will make a statement.

Robert Jenrick: Ofsted assisted the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) in the inspection on the use of hotels for housing unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) due to their expertise in child safeguarding. The inspection found that ‘unanimously’ the young people accommodated at the interim hotels reported feeling ‘happy and safe’. We are taking a new power in the Illegal Migration Bill to provide or arrange for the provision of accommodation for unaccompanied children. Our policy intention is to ensure that whilst time in this accommodation is expected to be short, we will be seeking to meet standards which are appropriate for the accommodation so that children are sufficiently supported and safeguarded. We are working closely with the Department for Education and relevant stakeholders on the appropriate standards which should apply. With regards to inspection, we expect to be transparent in allowing scrutiny of our accommodation linked to any agreed appropriate standards.

Intimidation: China

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will take steps to protect UK residents with links to China from potential intimidation from the Chinese state.

Tom Tugendhat: We keep potential threats in the UK under constant review, and take protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously.The Home Office works closely with departments across Whitehall and with devolved administrations to ensure that the public are free to engage in our democratic society without fear of the regimes that they have tried to leave behind. As part of their work, Defending Democracy Taskforce is reviewing the UK’s approach to transnational repression to ensure we have a robust and joined up response across government and law enforcement.The National Security Bill, now in its final stages, represents the biggest overhaul of state threats legislation in a generation, and will drastically improve our tools to deal with the full range of state threat activity. The Bill contains provisions that will leave those seeking to coerce, for, or with the intention to benefit, a foreign state liable to prosecution in a way that they currently are not. Those convicted could face up to 14 years in prison.Any attempts by foreign states to coerce, intimidate, harass, or harm individuals or communities here in the UK will not be tolerated.

Asylum: Falmouth

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her original timescale was for refitting the Bibby Stockholm barge in Falmouth Docks to accommodate asylum seekers; and whether this timescale has changed since work began.

Robert Jenrick: The Bibby Stockholm will arrive in Portland in early July and asylum seekers are expected to be moved onto the Bibby Stockholm from mid-July onwards.It will be in place initially for 18 months but kept under review. The Bibby Stockholm is now in Falmouth where it is undergoing a statutory inspection along with any necessary refurbishment and general maintenance ahead of its berthing in Portland in the coming weeks. It will not be used to house asylum seekers whilst in Falmouth.

Asylum: Falmouth

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the potential cost to the public purse of refitting the Bibby Stockholm barge in Falmouth Docks to accommodate asylum seekers; and whether this cost has increased since work began.

Robert Jenrick: Cost information is prospective and commercially sensitive, and as such is not available to be released. The pressure on the asylum system has continued to grow and requires us to look at a range of accommodation options which offer better value for money for taxpayers than hotels.

Asylum: Falmouth

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the potential cost to the public purse of housing asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm barge; and whether this cost can be broken down per asylum seeker.

Robert Jenrick: Cost information is prospective and commercially sensitive, and as such is not available to be released. The pressure on the asylum system from small boat arrivals has continued to grow and requires us to look at a range of accommodation options which are more appropriate and offer better value for the taxpayer than expensive hotels.

British Nationality: Children

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of children applying for British citizenship had their application fees waived since (a) June 2022 and (b) June 2021.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office monitors the number of fee waiver applications for children registering for British citizenship. However, management information in this area is currently being collated, reviewed and assured, and we are therefore not in a position to share figures at this time. We are however considering the best mechanism for updating Parliament with this information when available and will do so at the earliest appropriate opportunity.Prior to 16 June 2022, an application to register as a British citizen as a child, required the appropriate application fee to be paid and there was no discretion to waive the citizenship application fee.

Northern Ireland Strategic Migration Partnership

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will provide an update on the progress made by her Department in restoring the Northern Ireland Strategic Migration Partnership.

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2022 to Question 60187 on Northern Ireland Strategic Migration Partnership: Finance, if she will provide an update on her Department's progress in implementing a new system to bring together funding streams in Northern Ireland.

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Northern Ireland Strategic Migration Partnership in promoting partnership between her Department and the devolved Administrations.

Robert Jenrick: In full consultation with relevant partners in Northern Ireland, the Home Office has formally ended the funded relationship with Northern Ireland Strategic Migration Partnership (SMP) which was communicated to NI SMP and other relevant partners in April of this year. The Home Office will form a new agreement with the Government Department in Northern Ireland for which funding has been agreed.

Asylum: Falmouth

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department conducted a structural survey of the Bibby Stockholm before it underwent refitting in Falmouth Docks.

Robert Jenrick: The Bibby Stockholm is now in Falmouth where it is undergoing a statutory inspection along with any necessary refurbishment and general maintenance ahead of its berthing in Portland in the coming weeks. It will not be used to house asylum seekers whilst in Falmouth.

Asylum: Falmouth

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to use Falmouth Docks to refit more barges to house asylum seekers.

Robert Jenrick: We do not comment on individual sites. The Home Office are assessing all suitable options for accommodation.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Afghan citizens have been resettled under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme in (a) its first year up to 6 January 2023 and (b) the first half of its second year up to 6 June 2023.

Robert Jenrick: The UK has made one of the largest commitments of any country to support those impacted by events in Afghanistan.The latest Immigration system statistics, year ending March 2023 - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab) (published on 25 May 2023), show that since their first arrivals in 2021, the Afghan schemes – the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) and the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) - have resettled a total of 21,004 people.More information on the number of grants of Indefinite Leave to Remain issued to Afghans resettling under the ARAP or ACRS can be viewed at:   Afghan Resettlement Programme: operational data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Asylum: Applications

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to prevent asylum applications being awarded to individuals who support proscribed terror groups.

Robert Jenrick: All asylum seekers undergo security checks against immigration and police databases to identify those who may have been involved in criminality both in the UK or abroad – including war crimes, crimes against humanity and terrorism.All foreign nationals, including asylum seekers and refugees, can and will face prosecution for criminal offences in the same way as any other individual in the UK, and will have their immigration status reviewed if convicted.

Knives: Crime Prevention

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what resources her Department plans to allocate to support anti-knife crime initiatives during the school summer holidays.

Chris Philp: Tackling serious violence, including knife crime, is a key priority for this government and we are doing everything we can to keep young people, families and communities safe.We know that violence often increases over the summer months. The government is taking concerted action to try and mitigate any spike in violence and tackle its underlying causes, deploying a twin-track approach of tough enforcement to remove dangerous weapons from the streets with programmes that steer young people away from crime.This financial year, the Government has made over £110m available to tackle serious violence. This includes continued investment in our Violence Reduction Units (VRUs), located in the twenty areas most affected by serious violence, which bring together local partners to tackle the drivers of violence in their area. VRUs continue to deliver preventative activity to young people at-risk of involvement in violence over the summer, providing early intervention programmes to divert young people away from a life of crime.We are also continuing to invest in our ‘Grip’ hotspot policing programme, which operates in the same 20 areas as VRUs, and which will help to drive down serious violence this summer through using data to identify serious violence hotspots – often down to individual street level – and target operational activity in those areas. The combination of these two programmes have prevented an estimated 136,000 violent offences in their first three years of operation.We are also supporting the police every step of the way in their efforts to crack down on knife crime. We have given them more powers and resources to go after criminals and take knives and other dangerous weapons off our streets, including through the recruitment of 20,000 additional officers and increasing police funding. New powers like Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) have been introduced to tackle repeated knife carrying, giving police the automatic right to search convicted offenders with an order.Police recorded crime showed offences involving knives or sharp instruments decreased by 9% for the year ending December 2022, compared with the year ending March 2020.The Crime Survey of England and Wales finds that violent offences have fallen by 41% and homicides by 11% since 2010.

Knives: Organised Crime

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion street-based knife crime incidents (a) were and (b) were not the result of gang activity in each of the last five years.

Chris Philp: The Home Office does not routinely collect information on whether offences involving knives or sharp instruments occurred on the street, or if they were related to gang activity.Violent crime as measured by the Crime Survey for England and Wales has fallen by 41% between the year ending March 2010 and the year ending December 2022.

Asylum: River Tees

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her Department's policy to site an accommodation barge on the River Tees to accommodate asylum seekers.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether exiting statutory powers are in place to direct the Tees Port Authority to site an accommodation barge on the River Tees.

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made assessment of the potential impact of accommodating additional asylum seekers on an accommodation barge in Teesside on (a) hospitals, (b) GPs, (c) dentists and (d) other local services.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide accommodation and other support to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute while their application for asylum is being considered.We do not publicly comment on individual sites which may or may not be utilised. When a site becomes available and meets the requirements of our accommodation contract, we will follow our engagement process and notify local authority officials and other stakeholders in advance of using the location.

Animal Experiments: Cosmetics

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to cancel or recall existing licenses that allow companies to carry out exclusive-use cosmetics ingredients on animals.

Tom Tugendhat: The Government is engaging with the relevant companies to urgently determine a way forward on legacy licences.

ACRO Criminal Records Office: Internet

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons the ACRO Criminal Records Office website is not yet fully operational.

Chris Philp: On 21 March ACRO were notified that their external website had been subject to a malware attack and that their website should be taken down for security purposes. Security investigations are ongoing. In the meantime, applications for a) police certificates, (b) international child protection certificates, and (c) subject access requests are being processed manually. Applications for record deletion are not made using the ACRO website portal.The average processing times since the cyber incident are as follows:a) Police certificates: 12.23 working days to complete;b) International Child Protection Certificates: 14.37 working days to complete;c) Subject Access Requests: 16.94 working days to complete;The standard turnaround for these services would usually be 10 days or one month in the case of subject access requests. These times do not include applications that came to ACRO in the wrong format or without the required supporting documentation or payment.ACRO can be contacted on 023 8047 9920 or by post at: ACRO, PO Box 481, Fareham PO14 9FS.

Department for Education

Schools: Sanitary Protection

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to (a) make an assessment of the effectiveness of and (b) take steps to improve the rollout of the period product scheme.

Nick Gibb: The Department launched the Period Products Scheme to provide pupils with period products when they need them. Since its launch in January 2020, 97% of secondary schools and 92% of post 16 colleges in England now use the scheme to provide free period products to pupils.All eligible organisations were emailed in September 2022 to remind them of their log in details and to provide them with a link to the guidance. Further contact has been made with all organisations who have not ordered throughout this academic year.The Department publishes statistics regarding the Scheme’s operation, which are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/period-products-scheme-management-information.

Special Educational Needs: Finance

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students who were non-high needs and aged between 16 and 19 years old received the band (a) five and (b) 4a national funding rate in the 2022-23 academic year.

Robert Halfon: The department does not hold the information in the format requested, or publish data split by funding band.The department identifies high needs students in the Individual Learner Record and School Census data to allocate the appropriate funding. When calculating the number of funded students per band, the department does not distinguish between those with high needs and others, for this funding stream.Therefore, the figures below include students in both high needs and non-high needs categories.In 2022/2023, the total number of funded students in 16 to 19 allocations were:Band 5: 999,779Band 4*: 140,943*The allocations figures recorded by the department do not separate the number of funded students in Bands 4a and 4b, since this is not necessary for the calculation, as both bands attract the same funding rate.

School Teachers' Review Body

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2023 to Question 186630 on School Teachers' Review Body, what discussions (a) she and (b) officials in her Department have had with (i) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (ii) officials in his Department on publication of the report of the School Teachers' Review Body.

Nick Gibb: Pay awards for teachers in the 2023/24 academic year must strike a careful balance between recruiting and retaining the best teachers and recognising their vital importance, alongside considering both affordability for schools and the wider economic context.The Secretary of State has been considering the School Teachers’ Review Body report and working with Cabinet Office, officials in her Department and across Government to ensure that the pay award for the 2023/24 academic year is right for both teachers and the country.The Department will publish the School Teachers’ Review Body’s report and our response in due course.

Free School Meals: Expenditure

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment on the adequacy of free school meals funding in the context of the increases in the cost of food.

Nick Gibb: The Department recognises the cost pressures that some schools and suppliers may be facing. The Department is holding regular meetings with other Government Departments and with food industry representatives, covering a variety of issues including public sector food supplies.Following the Autumn Statement 2022, schools will receive an additional £2 billion in each of the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years. The core schools’ budget, which covers schools’ day to day running costs, including schools’ energy bills and the costs of providing income related free school meals (FSM), has risen from £49.8 billion in 2021/22 to £53.8 billion in 2022/23 and will continue to rise to £57.3 billion in 2023/24 and £58.8 billion in 2024/25. By 2024/25, funding per pupil will have risen to its highest ever level in real terms. These increases provide support to schools to deal with the impact of inflation on their budgets.The Department is continuing to review funding to ensure that schools continue to be able to provide healthy and nutritious meals in schools. The funding for the FSM factor is increasing for 2023/24, in line with the latest available Gross Domestic Product deflator forecast when the National Funding Formula was published in July 2022.Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) are funded through a direct grant to schools. In the 2023/24 academic year, the funding rate is increasing from £2.41 to £2.53. Further details on the UIFSM 2023/24 grant are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-infant-free-school-meals-uifsm-2023-to-2024/universal-infant-free-school-meals-uifsm-conditions-of-grant-2023-to-2024.

Apprentices

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage more people to take up higher apprenticeships.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will incentivise universities to generate more higher apprenticeships.

Robert Halfon: Higher and degree level apprenticeships provide people with high quality training and are important in supporting productivity, social mobility and widening participation in higher education and employment.In the 2021/22 academic year, there were over 106,000 apprenticeship starts at levels 4-7. That is 7.6% higher than the previous year. Starts at levels 6 and 7 increased 10.3% in 2021/22 to over 43,000 when compared to the previous year.Employers have developed over 310 high quality apprenticeship standards at levels 4,5,6 and 7 in industries such as engineering and manufacturing, health and science, digital and transport and logistics to help meet their industry skills needs.The department wants to accelerate the growth of higher and degree apprenticeships across all regions and encourage higher education providers to expand their existing offers or develop new ones. The department is therefore providing an additional £40 million in funding over the next two years, on top of the £8 million investment in the 2022/23 financial year.The department continues to promote higher and degree level apprenticeships to employers in all sectors and regions, and it is for individual employers to choose which apprenticeships they offer, and at what level, according to their needs.The department publishes the higher and degree apprenticeship vacancy listing twice a year, with the next released planned for November, which will highlight over 350 vacancies across the country that are available for young people to apply for in 2023 and 2024. The vacancy listing is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-and-degree-apprenticeships.The department is working hard to ensure that young people across the country get the right information to help them decide on the best route for their future. From autumn 2023, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service will expand their service so that young people can see more personalised options, including degree apprenticeships. From 2024, students will then be able to apply for apprenticeships alongside degrees, meaning young people can find the right option for them, all in one place

Apprentices

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to incentivise employers in the (a) public and (b) private sector to take on apprentices.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the reasons that employers (a) offer and (b) do not offer apprenticeships.

Robert Halfon: The department has developed an employer-led apprenticeship system which allows employers to design the apprenticeships they need and directly access funding for the apprenticeships that they want, when they want it. There are currently over 670 high-quality apprenticeship standards available for employers across every sector to access.The department wants to support more employers across the country to recruit new apprentices. We have introduced flexible training models, like flexi-job and accelerated apprenticeships, to make apprenticeships more accessible, and have improved the transfer system so levy-payers can make the most of their funds.We recognise the important role that small-medium sized employers (SMEs) play in creating apprenticeship opportunities. In April 2023, we removed the limit to the number of apprentices that smaller employers can take on, making it easier for SMEs to grow their businesses with the skilled apprentices they need. The department also provides £1,000 to employers and training providers when they take on certain younger apprentices.The department works closely with both private and public sector employers to develop and expand their apprenticeship programmes. Since April 2017, there have been over 280,000 apprenticeship starts from public sector employers, and new apprenticeship entry routes created for professions such as nursing and policing.On the 22 June 2023, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, gave a speech at the Skills for Growth Conference to an audience of public and private sector employers, discussing how we can create a workforce fit for the future and address the urgent recruitment needs of businesses through apprenticeships and skills.

Apprentices

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with (a) local authorities and (b) local enterprise partnerships on providing strategic oversight for local apprenticeships.

Robert Halfon: The department has made excellent progress on the national rollout of Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs), with employer representative bodies designated to lead the development of LSIPs in all 38 areas of England. The LSIPs will articulate agreed sets of priority actions that providers and stakeholders in a local area can get behind to drive change.The department expects that by being employer-led and locally owned, LSIPs will help better align post-16 technical education and training, including provision of apprenticeships, to local employer and labour market needs. This will help to ensure businesses can access the skills they need to succeed and grow and that leaners can secure high quality jobs and increase their career prospects. The recently launched £165 million Local Skills Improvement Fund will enable further education providers to transition their provision so that it matches LSIP priorities.

Apprentices: Minimum Wage

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of the National Minimum Wage apprenticeship rate on the take up of apprenticeships.

Robert Halfon: The government is committed to ensuring that apprentice pay supports the attraction and retention of talented individuals into apprenticeships.The department recognises that apprentices may be experiencing financial pressures because of rises in the cost of living. In November 2022, the government accepted, in full, the Low Pay Commission’s recommendation to increase the Apprentice National Minimum Wage by 9.7% to £5.28 from April 2023. This increase will help to counter the impact of rises in the cost of living, and the department continues to provide financial support to encourage more apprenticeship opportunities for all people.Many employers choose to pay their apprentices more than the national minimum wage rates, recognising the value that apprentices bring to their workplace. Our data shows that average hourly pay for apprentices’ ranges between £8.23 for Level 2 and £14.02 for Level 6.The independent Low Pay Commission is responsible for advising government on annual changes to minimum pay rates. Its recommendations follow a period of extensive research and consultation with employers, sector representative bodies and government stakeholders. Its latest consultation began on 23 March 2023 and closed on 9 June 2023. Its outcomes will be published in due course.The Commission has committed to keeping the Apprentice Rate under close review and will continue to assess whether a separate rate for apprentices is still justified. The full report can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1129930/Low_Pay_Commission_Report_2022.pdf.The department makes £1,000 payments to employers and providers when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18, and apprentices aged 19 to 24 that have an Education, Health and Care plan, which can be used to support costs such as wages, uniforms or travel. In addition, we are increasing our care leavers’ bursary from £1,000 to £3,000 in August 2023.

Students: Finance

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing (a) financial grants, (b) interest free and (c) lower interest loans to students in the context of rises in the cost of living.

Robert Halfon: The government recognises the cost of living pressures that are impacting students. The department has made £276 million of student premium and mental health funding available for the 2023/24 academic year to support students who need additional help to succeed, including disadvantaged students.We have continued to increase maximum loans and grants for living and other costs each year, with a 2.3% increase for the 2022/23 academic year, and a further 2.8% increase for 2023/24. In addition, students eligible for benefits, such as those who are responsible for a child, qualify for higher rates of loans to help them with their living costs at university.Students who have been awarded a loan for living costs for the 2022/23 academic year that is lower than the maximum, and whose household income for the 2022/23 tax year has dropped by at least 15% compared to the income provided for their original assessment, have been able to apply for their entitlement to be reassessed.The government has no plans to reintroduce maintenance grants, as it believes that income-contingent student loans are a fair and sensible way of financing higher education. In 2022, we had record numbers of 18-year-olds going to university, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds. An English 18-year-old from a disadvantaged background today is 86% more likely to go to university than in 2010.The student funding system must provide value for money for all at a time of rising costs. It is important that a sustainable student finance system is in place, that is fair to both students and taxpayers. Interest is an important part of this. If interest payments were removed altogether, it would increase the burden to taxpayers, not all of whom will attend university. The government does not plan to further reduce interest rates on student loans. In 2022/23, student loan interest reduced public sector net debt by around £4.8 billion according to published data from the Spring 2023 Office for Budget Responsibility Economic Outlook.Student loans are different to commercial personal loans. Monthly student loan repayments are calculated by income rather than by interest rates or the amount borrowed. No borrower will be repaying more per month as a result of changes to interest rates. Borrowers are protected. If income is below the relevant repayment threshold, or a borrower is not earning, repayments stop. Any outstanding loan balance, including interest accrued, is written off after the loan term ends, or in case of death or disability, at no detriment to the borrower. Student loans are subsidised by the taxpayer, and the government does not make a profit from the loan scheme.To further protect borrowers, where the government considers that the student loan interest rate is too high in comparison to the prevailing market rate, it will reduce the maximum Plan 2, Plan 3 and Plan 5 interest rate by applying a cap.New students who start courses on or after 1 August 2023 will receive their loans on new Plan 5 terms. Students with Plan 5 loans will benefit from a reduction in the interest rate to Retail Price Index only. This change ensures that borrowers on the new Plan 5 terms will not repay more than they originally borrowed over the lifetime of their loans, when adjusted for inflation.Decisions on student finance have had to be taken alongside other spending priorities to ensure the system remains financially sustainable and the costs of higher education are shared fairly between students and taxpayers, not all of whom have benefited from going to university.

Pupils: Attendance

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children in Worcestershire were subject to a School Attendance Order in (a) June 2023, (b) 2019 and (c) 2018.

Nick Gibb: As defined in the Section 436A of the Education Act 1996, children missing education (CME) are children of compulsory school age who are not registered pupils at a school and are not receiving suitable education otherwise than at a school.The data shows that 1,310 children were CME, and 1,500 children were electively home educated in Worcestershire at any point in the 2021/22 academic year, the only year for which data is currently available. The data is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education(opens in a new tab), and at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-missing-education(opens in a new tab).The Department also started collecting data on the number of school attendance orders (SAOs) in 2022. The number of SAOs issued in Worcestershire in 2021/22 has been suppressed in line with the Department’s publication methodology. This means that the figure is not zero, but rounds to zero. This is the only year for which data is currently available.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Royal Family: Economic Situation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the (a) platinum jubilee, (b) funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and (c) the coronation on the economy.

Stuart Andrew: The Platinum Jubilee, the funeral of Her Late Majesty and the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla were hugely important state occasions for our nation. They brought millions of people around the country and Commonwealth together and showcased the best of the United Kingdom to the world. Communities celebrated the Platinum Jubilee in around 16,000 local street parties across the UK while the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II was watched by hundreds of millions around the world.Major Royal events such as these provide a significant boost to the UK economy through tourism, our hospitality industry and to the many other businesses that will have seen an increase in trade. VisitEngland projected that overnight holiday breaks in the UK during the Coronation Bank Holiday weekend would generate an estimated £1.2 billion economic boost, while UKHospitality estimated a £350 million boost for the hospitality industry over the long weekend.

Sportsgrounds: Rubber

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which regulatory bodies have responsibility for safety issues for 3G pitches with rubber crumb in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland.

Stuart Andrew: The safety of pitches, whether they feature rubber in-fill or not, is the responsibility of individual field owners and operators and those designing, building and maintaining 3G pitches. They have a duty of care to ensure their pitch does not create unnecessary risks to players, match officials and those undertaking maintenance.A number of governing bodies, including FIFA, World Rugby and the International Hockey Federation (FIH), have included recommendations from the European Committee for Standardisation into their certification programmes for artificial grass pitches, and the Sports and Play Construction Association (SAPCA) provides guidance on developing and managing sport construction projects and facilities.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Conferences

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's publication of transactions over £25,000 for April 2023 on 29 June, at what venue her Department's staff conference took place on 25 January; what activities that conference involved; and how many staff from her Department were in attendance.

Sir John Whittingdale: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) staff conference took place at Alexandra Palace, chosen as it represented best value for money after a thorough search and for its links to the department’s policy areas of sport, culture, tourism and the events industry.Like many large organisations, DCMS manages our staff conference as a cost-effective way of developing skills and training all staff on the latest policy developments, sharing ideas, building their digital skills, and focusing on how they can best support the government’s agenda. The conference was hybrid, bringing the benefits of being together face to face, with the accessibility of online.The conference featured talks, panels and Q&A sessions focused on the department’s delivery priorities for 2023, learnings from the major events the Department delivered in 2022 such as the Commonwealth Games and Platinum Jubilee. Sessions also included how to harness the benefits of 5G, how to work effectively as one team in pursuit of shared objectives as well as a short annual staff awards that recognised the huge contribution our people make to public service.In total 1,665 colleagues attended the hybrid event.

Crown Works Studios

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the Crown Works Studios development in Sunderland.

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of investment in the film and tv industry in Sunderland on (a) industry skills shortages, (b) local employment opportunities and (c) levels of private investment in (i) Sunderland and (ii) the North East.

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the planned Crown Works Studios in Sunderland on (a) Sunderland and (b) the North East.

Sir John Whittingdale: I am aware of the Crown Works studio proposal in Sunderland and look forward to continuing my engagement with stakeholders to hear more about this project. I regularly engage with Cabinet colleagues on matters related to the creative industries.The recently published Creative Industries Sector Vision sets out the Government’s ambition to maximise the potential of the creative industries. It details our plans to grow these industries by an extra £50bn and create a million extra jobs by 2030, and build a pipeline of talent and opportunity for young people through a Creative Careers Promise. The film and television industries play an important role in the wider creative industries.My department continues to work closely with its Arm’s Length Body, the British Film Institute (BFI), to ensure a wide range of funding and initiatives are available to support the film industry. This is in addition to the UK-wide screen sector tax reliefs, and the UK Global Screen Fund which will invest £28 million in the international growth of independent screen companies across the UK. This is in addition to the UK-wide screen sector tax reliefs, and the UK Global Screen Fund which will invest £28 million in the international growth of independent screen companies across the UK. The BFI produces the Screen Business Report, which assesses the impact of the tax reliefs across all nations and regions of the UK.The £28.4 million Create Growth Programme (CGP), is supporting creative businesses to attract private investment through a combination of capital, business support and investor capacity building. It currently covers six regions in England, including parts of the North East of England.The British Film Institute also launched their skills clusters programme in April, committing £8.1m of National Lottery funding over 2023-26 to support the development of six regional skills clusters across the UK. The funding focuses on establishing localised support for skills development and training, building on existing production infrastructure, with the aim to develop local crew bases and create new opportunities for people from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue careers in the sector. Screen Yorkshire, Liverpool Film Office, Screen Manchester, and North East Screen have partnered together, under the name ‘Screen Alliance North’, to jointly lead the ‘North of England’ cluster - which has been awarded £2.3m for 2023-26.

Film

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the (a) findings on crew shortages and associated issues and (b) recommendation on the strategic deployment of industry investment in the report by the British Film Institute entitled BFI Skills Review 2022, published on 29 June 2022.

Sir John Whittingdale: The recently published Creative Industries Sector Vision sets out the Government’s ambition to maximise the potential of the creative industries. It details our plans to grow these industries by an extra £50bn and create a million extra jobs by 2030, and build a pipeline of talent and opportunity for young people through a Creative Careers Promise. The film and television industries play an important role in the wider creative industries.We recognise how important it is for the film and television sector to have access to a pipeline of skilled workers. To better understand the skills needed in our Film and High-End TV sector, the Government commissioned the British Film Institute (BFI) to undertake the UK Film and High-End TV Skills Review, which the BFI published in June 2022.We continue to work closely with the BFI and industry following the review. As set out in its National Lottery Funding Plan (2023-26), the BFI has committed £9 million of National Lottery funding to create Skills Clusters to support skills development and training at a local level across the UK, as recommended by the Review.The BFI has also helped to elicit greater industry collaboration around training and workforce development, convening a new industry-led Skills Task Force to respond to the Review and develop a plan of action. I look forward to continued engagement with the BFI and the Task Force on their progress.

Charities: Finance

Kim Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent progress her Department has made on implementing the £100 million fund for frontline charities announced at the Spring Budget 2023; how charities will be able to apply for funding; whether there will be deadlines for applications; and whether organisations in the violence against women and girls sector be able to apply for funding.

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent progress her Department has made on implementing the £100 million fund for frontline charities announced at the Spring Budget 2023; whether there will be deadlines for applications; and whether organisations in the violence against women and girls sector be able to apply for funding.

Stuart Andrew: As announced in the Spring Budget, the Government will provide over £100 million of support for charities and community organisations in England.Around three quarters of the £100 million funding package will be targeted this year towards those frontline organisations most at risk as a result of cost of living pressures, due to increased demand from vulnerable people and higher delivery costs. The other quarter will be used to provide investment in energy efficiency measures to help civil society organisations reduce their future operating costs.Officials are working at pace to finalise the delivery time frames and eligibility criteria. Further details, including how to apply for funding, eligibility criteria and application deadlines, will be announced as soon as possible.

Department of Health and Social Care

Mental Health Services: Men

Paul Bristow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to help younger men with their mental health.

Maria Caulfield: We are investing at least £2.3 billion of additional funding a year by March 2024 through the NHS Long Term Plan to expand and transform mental health services in England so that two million more people, including younger men, will be able to get the mental health support they need.This investment includes an additional £57 million in suicide prevention by March 2024. Through this, all areas of the country are seeing investment to support local suicide prevention plans and the development of suicide bereavement services.The Government launched a public call for evidence on what can be done across Government in the longer term to support mental health, wellbeing, and suicide prevention, which closed on 7 July 2022. We received submissions from 5,273 respondents representing a broad range of stakeholders, including those working with younger men, from across England. These responses will feed into the development of mental health and suicide prevention policies we include in the Major Conditions Strategy and the Suicide Prevention Strategy.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Dame Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to monitor inequalities in HPV vaccination uptake.

Maria Caulfield: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) monitor HPV vaccine coverage and publish annual data which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/human-papillomavirus-hpv-vaccine-coverage-estimates-in-england-2021-to-2022In order to track inequalities these data are available by gender at the local authority, NHS and UKSHA Regional levels. School-based HPV immunisation delivery has successfully achieved high coverage in England and reduced inequalities at area level since the start of the programme in 2008.In addition, the UKHSA also conducts undertakes research to understand how knowledge, beliefs and attitudes towards immunisation, vaccine safety and disease severity, influence vaccine uptake decision-making, including for the HPV vaccine. This includes working with partners in the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) for Vaccines exploring issues within specific minority communities and monitoring inequalities.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Dame Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that HPV vaccination reaches 90 per cent uptake in (a) girls and (b) boys.

Maria Caulfield: Ease of access is key to ensure high uptake of vaccines. For this reason, the HPV programme is primarily delivered through schools, with alternative provision for those not in mainstream education and catch-up programmes offered through general practitioner (GP) practices for both girls and boys who are eligible but missed their initial offer.Additionally, NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency deliver annual communication campaigns to promote the HPV vaccine via GPs and universities, emphasising the benefits of the HPV vaccine for both girls and boys.It is vitally important that everyone takes up the vaccinations to which they are entitled; for themselves, their families, and wider society. Anyone unsure about their eligibility or vaccination status should contact their GP for advice.

Human Papillomavirus

Dame Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase awareness and education on HPV and HPV-related cancers among children and teenagers.

Maria Caulfield: UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works closely with several charities such as Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust and the Teenage Cancer Trust to develop lesson plans for schools and other resources that can be used to raise awareness and educate young people about the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and related cancers. UKHSA has also helped develop resources for schools on the HPV vaccination and other adolescent immunisation programmes available at the following links: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adolescent-vaccination-programme-in-secondary-schools/adolescent-vaccination-programme-briefing-for-secondary-schools https://www.jostrust.org.uk/information-healthcare-professionals/information-teachers; https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/about-us/what-we-do/cancer-awareness/resources#cervicalcancer https://pshe-association.org.uk/resource/educate-hpv-vaccine UKHSA HPV resources are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hpv-vaccination-programmeAlso available to order in print on the UKHSA Health Publications website in a range of language and accessible formats available at the following link:www.healthpublications.gov.uk

Ultrasonics

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of increasing access to MR-guided focused ultrasound treatments on the economy.

Helen Whately: There are no current plans to make an assessment.

Cancer: Health Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve local clinical leadership in cancer care.

Helen Whately: The NHS Long Term Plan highlights the importance of visible senior clinical leadership in enabling and assuring the delivery of high quality care both within organisations and in the new system architecture.In February 2019, NHS England published clinical leadership guidance for all clinicians, including those providing cancer services. This guide provides a framework for action, to help leaders working on clinical leadership gain new perspectives on what might be standing in the way of progress, sets out legal and policy considerations, and poses key questions for senior leaders trying to increase the involvement of clinicians. It includes vignettes that show how people are already tackling some common barriers.

Gender Dysphoria: Clinics

Elliot Colburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to expand the gender clinic pilot schemes.

Maria Caulfield: NHS England has so far commissioned five new pilot gender identity clinics based in primary care and sexual health services. These services are currently operating in London, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside and East of England. Another pilot testing the primary care-based model, will go live in Sussex in September 2023. Following a positive evaluation of one of the pilots, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has been awarded a seven-year contract to develop and expand its service. The intention, if further pilots are evaluated positively, is to award substantive contracts, following due governance processes. Ongoing evaluation will inform NHS decisions on rolling this model of provision out nationally

Liver Diseases

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to reduce the effect of stigma on late presentation and delayed diagnosis of alcohol-related liver disease.

Neil O'Brien: The Department is not currently taking specific steps to reduce the effect of stigma on presentation and diagnosis of alcohol-related liver disease. However, there is an ongoing focus on reducing the stigma attached to alcohol use including promoting public awareness of how to lessen alcohol consumption, a preventable risk factor for liver disease, through the NHS ‘Better Health’ campaign, making training to raise awareness of alcohol stigma freely available to NHS frontline staff via the NHS e-learning for healthcare website and specifying ‘provision of trust-wide education and training in relation to alcohol’ as an explicit responsibility for Alcohol Care Team (ACT) staff in the ACT Core Service Descriptor.More broadly, through commitments in the Drug Strategy and NHS Long Term Plan, we are facilitating more people in need into local authority commissioned alcohol treatment. Additional treatment and recovery funding, made available through the Drug Strategy, can be used to increase capacity for screening for liver fibrosis in treatment settings and to establish effective referral pathways with hepatology.

Clinical Trials

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency expedites human challenge trial applications where a case has gone beyond its 60-day review deadline.

Will Quince: The Medicines and Healthcare product Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is dealing with queued applications sequentially. However, the MHRA is reallocating work and routinely evaluates applications for their complexity and prioritises applications based on public health impact, patient safety and patient need. This approach applies to all queued clinical trials including human challenge trial applications that have exceeded the 60-day review deadline.

Clinical Trials

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is taking to reduce the time it takes to assess human challenge clinical trials.

Will Quince: The Medicines Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is aware that customers who have submitted initial applications and amendments to our Clinical Investigations and Trials team have experienced extended timeframes in some cases and understands how this unpredictability is impacting companies. The MHRA has taken several significant steps to address the extended timeframes for clinical trial approvals. This includes, but is not limited to, prioritising recruitment and training of specialist staff, working with external stakeholders to streamline and improve its processes, and enhancing customer service support and communications. The MHRA regularly reviews and prioritises applications based on public health impact, patient safety and patient need. Unless a human challenge trial application is considered to meet those criteria it is not prioritised over other clinical trial applications.

Clinical Trials

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many clinical trial protocols have been awaiting approval by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for more than (a) 30, (b) 60 and (c) 120 days.

Will Quince: As of 5 July 2023, the number of clinical trial protocols, initial clinical trial authorisation applications, that have been awaiting approval by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for more than 30 days (31 to 60 days inclusive) is 68, for more than 60 days (61 to 120 days inclusive) is 110 and for more than 120 days (121 days+) is 81. The MHRA publishes this data about its performance on its website every month.

Health Services: Per Capita Costs

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make a comparative estimate of the funding for healthcare per person in (a) the UK and (b) other similar countries.

Will Quince: The latest available identifiable expenditure on health per head in the United Kingdom was £3,271 per person in 2020/21. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) publish a comprehensive set of indicators on health system performance across OECD countries which includes health expenditure. In their latest Health at a Glance publication covering the OECD area, the UK’s expenditure on health per capita was above the OECD average. The UK was also above the OECD average in the publications based on 2018 and on 2016 data.To compare spending levels across countries, per capita spending levels are converted to a common currency (US dollars) and adjusted to take account of differences in purchasing power of the national currencies by the OECD.

Osteoporosis: Health Services

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the written evidence submitted by the Royal Osteoporosis Society to the Health and Social Care Committee inquiry on prevention in health and social care, reference PHS0405.

Helen Whately: The Department continues to work with NHS England on the consideration and implementation of musculoskeletal policy in line with the Royal Osteoporosis Society’s recommendations.

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Andrew Lewer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what positions his Department will put forward on e-cigarettes at the Tenth Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, COP10.

Neil O'Brien: There are no plans for Ministers to attend the Tenth Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP 10). The United Kingdom delegation will consist of officials from the Department’s as is usual practice.The Government has regularly set out our position on vaping at the Conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and will do so at the next conference in November 2023. The delegation will not agree to any decisions which would impact on our ability to make regulated vapes available for adult smokers who wish to quit smoking.

General Practitioners: Migrant Workers

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the four month visa extension for newly trained International Medical Graduates announced in the NHSE's Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care will apply to GP trainees in Northern Ireland.

Neil O'Brien: The four-month visa extension for newly trained international medical graduates will apply across all four nations, including Northern Ireland

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Andrew Lewer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which Ministers will form the UK’s delegation for the Tenth Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP10).

Neil O'Brien: There are no plans for Ministers to attend the Tenth Conference of the Parties to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (COP 10). The United Kingdom delegation will consist of officials from the Department’s as is usual practice.The Government has regularly set out our position on vaping at the Conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and will do so at the next conference in November 2023. The delegation will not agree to any decisions which would impact on our ability to make regulated vapes available for adult smokers who wish to quit smoking.

Dental Services: Children

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department spent on secondary dental healthcare for children in the 2022-23 financial year; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of increasing funding for primary dental care on the level of demand for secondary care.

Neil O'Brien: The information requested is not held centrally. No specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of increasing funding for primary dental care on the level of demand for secondary care

Health Services: Montserrat

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support the development of healthcare services in Montserrat.

Will Quince: The Department of Health and Social Care works with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the UK Health Security Agency, and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, to provide health system support to all Overseas Territories, including Montserrat. This includes practical and technical support to supply COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and antivirals, medical equipment, and support on workforce recruitment and retention. We also administer the NHS Quota System which allows Montserrat to refer ten patients for a free course of NHS treatment not available on island.

Cancer: Young People

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support with travel costs is available for teenage cancer patients accessing specialist treatment.

Will Quince: The Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS) provides financial assistance to eligible patients (patients in receipt of a qualifying benefit or through the NHS Low Income Scheme) who do not have a medical need for transport, but who require assistance with travel costs incurred in travelling to receive certain NHS services, where their journey meets certain criteria. For eligible patients, travel expenses should be calculated by reference to the cheapest means of transport that is reasonable for the patient.In addition, the NHS Car Parking Guidance states that parking will be provided free to all outpatients who attend hospital for an appointment at least three times within a month and for an overall period of at least three months.Help with travel costs through the HTCS is available for teenagers who get or are included in an award of someone getting one of the qualifying benefits or tax credits or are named on the notice of entitlement to the NHS Low Income Scheme (known as a HC2 or HC3 certificate).

Surgery: Children

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce elective procedure backlogs in child health services.

Will Quince: Cutting National Health Service waiting lists, including for elective child health services, is one of this government’s top priorities. To support elective recovery the Government plans to spend more than £8 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25, in addition to the £2 billion Elective Recovery Fund and £700 million Targeted Investment Fund already made available to systems in 2021/22 to help drive up and protect elective activity.Steps taken include increasing capacity, seeking alternative capacity in other trusts or the independent sector and engaging with patients to understand their choices. We have met our target to virtually eliminate long waits of two years or more for elective procedures in July 2022, and significantly reduced the number of patients waiting eighteen months or more by April 2023 by over 91% from the peak in September 2021.

Cancer: Health Professions

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to provide clinicians with access to high quality training in advanced cancer treatments and care.

Will Quince: It is the responsibility of individual employers to ensure that their staff are trained and competent to carry out the role for which they are employed, and for making decisions about the ongoing professional training and development requirements of their staff.In 2023/24, NHS England is investing an additional £50 million to expand the cancer and diagnostics specialties. This includes investment in training places in clinical and medical oncology which have increased by close to 40 posts per year for the last two years. The curriculum for both areas has been updated to include latest treatments for different forms of cancer. Doctors also undergo subspecialty training to focus on cancer and tumour specific management.

Cardiovascular System: Surgery

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the training available to (a) vascular nurses, (b) vascular technicians and (c) non-medics to support the (i) diagnosis and (ii) treatment of venous patients.

Will Quince: The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, which was published on 30 June 2023, sets a bold ambition to train more staff, retain talent, work differently and reform the way we train the healthcare professionals of the future. The Government is backing the plan with over £2.4 billion over the next five years to fund additional education and training places over five years. This is on top of increases to education and training investment, reaching a record £6.1 billion over the next two years. The modelling within the Plan sets out the workforce the NHS is projected to need over the next 15 years. Across the NHS, staffing decisions are taken by over 200 NHS trusts, other organisations and other employers that deliver NHS care. Each will take decisions on the mix of staff they employ. Therefore, the Plan does not go into detail on specialties, pathways or areas of care but instead looks at the NHS as a whole, at a high level. We will work with our national partners and integrated care systems to deliver the plan.

Cardiovascular System: Surgery

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the number of training places for vascular surgeons to 30 to 40 each year.

Will Quince: In January 2023 Health Education England announced that nearly 900 additional medical specialty training posts have been created for this year, including the expansion of 20 specialty training posts in vascular surgery, from August 2023. An additional 15 posts are planned from August 2024.As of March 2023, there were 303 full time equivalent consultants working in the Vascular Surgery specialism in NHS trusts & integrated care boards in England. This is an increase of 21 (7.5%) compared to March 2022.The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan recently published by NHS England sets out an aim to double the number of medical school places in England to 15,000 places a year by 2031/32, and to work towards this expansion by increasing places by a third, to 10,000 a year, by 2028/29. The plan commits to ensuring a commensurate increase in specialty training places that meets the demands of the NHS in the future

Radiology: South East

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the impact of the shortfall in clinical radiology consultants in the South East region on (a) diagnostic waiting times, (b) patient outcomes and (c) staff wellbeing in the region.

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is to minimise the potential impact of the shortfall of clinical oncology consultants on (a) diagnostic waiting times, (b) patient outcomes and (c) staff wellbeing.

Helen Whately: In the South East region, local systems are taking steps to address diagnostic waiting times, patient outcomes and staff wellbeing in the area. These include initiatives such as upskilling other staff such as radiographers to undertake advanced practice; investing over £40 million in digital infrastructure while working with industry partners around artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions; rolling out the i-refer system to support general practitioners (GPs) to appropriately refer for imaging tests; creating imaging networks to enable departments to provide mutual support and aid across the region.£2.3 billion was awarded at Spending Review 2021 to transform diagnostic services over the next three years including increasing the number of Community Diagnostic Centres up to 160 by March 2025. This investment will support the ambition for 75% of patients with an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer to be diagnosed or have cancer ruled out within 28 days by March 2024. This is in line with to NHS Long Term Plan ambitions on early diagnosis and improving patient outcomes.The health and wellbeing of National Health Service staff is taken seriously, and NHS England have put in place a wide ranging package of support for NHS staff. This includes emotional and psychological health and wellbeing support.

Dementia

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of people diagnosed with dementia in each of the last 10 years.

Helen Whately: The data requested is not collected centrally. NHS England can provide a count of patients with a recorded diagnosis of dementia. This is a count of patients with a dementia diagnosis on their general practice record at the specified point in time irrespective of when the diagnosis was made. The dementia diagnosis figures for all ages for April of each year for the last 10 years are shown in the table below: DateRecorded dementia diagnoses for all agesApril 2023460,518April 2022443,869April 2021432,129April 2020453,377April 2019469,025April 2018450,106April 2017446,515April 2016413,782April 2015410,092April 2014331,824

Cancer: Health Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to provide cancer patients with care navigators.

Helen Whately: The NHS Long Term Plan states that all cancer patients will have access to the right expertise and support, including a Clinical Nurse Specialist or other support worker such as a cancer navigator (also known as a pathway navigator).The Aspirant Cancer Career Education and Development (ACCEND) Programme, funded by NHS England, aims to establish career pathways and transform education and training for a range of staff groups working in cancer, including navigators.The ACCEND Programme aims to make careers in this area more attractive, while boosting retention and enhancing competencies, supporting the Department’s ambition for a supportive and assistive workforce with the right numbers and right skills to meet the needs of people with cancer.NHS England is also funding new training routes for navigators, including via apprenticeships.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Economic Growth: Coastal Areas

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of economic growth in coastal communities.

Dehenna Davison: The Government recognises that many coastal communities face both shared challenges and opportunities. We are committed to ensuring all areas of the UK, including coastal areas, can grow and prosper.Coastal communities often face higher deprivation and unemployment, and lower average incomes, health outcomes, educational attainment and productivity. Between 2009 and 2018, 71% of coastal towns experienced slower population and employment growth than the England and Wales average[1].We continue to work with coastal communities to help them level up, with 11 out of 12 Freeports and 7 of 20 Levelling Up Partnerships being in coastal areas. From current major funding programmes, around £1 billion is flowing to projects in coastal areas from the Levelling Up Fund; over £400 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund is going to lead local authorities within or serving coastal areas in England alone, alongside major investment in the other nations; and £75 million extra has been allocated for capital projects in coastal areas as part of announcements at Budget.[1] Coastal towns in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)

Buildings: Safety

Sarah Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that unprofitable developers that built faulty and dangerous buildings are accountable under the Responsible Actors Scheme.

Sarah Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that the Responsible Actors Scheme does not apply to companies connected to developers that have no direct responsibilities for development.

Rachel Maclean: The Building Safety (Responsible Actors Scheme and Prohibitions) Regulations 2023 were signed into law on 3 July. We intend to launch the Scheme this Summer.The eligibility criteria include a £10 million per annum average operating profits threshold, in order to make sure that the Scheme's initial focus is on substantial, profitable businesses. Companies that developed defective buildings but do not meet the profits threshold will be able to join the Scheme voluntarily, and we intend to extend the Scheme to cover all developers who have developed defective residential buildings over 11m and should be paying to fix them. The Building Safety Act 2022 also provides other ways to pursue developers who were responsible for unsafe buildings.The regulations make it possible for entities which are controlled by a prohibited developer but are not in the building industry to apply for an exception from the prohibitions.

Housing: Disability and Older People

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidance his Department provides local planning authorities on supporting (a) elderly and (b) disabled people with their housing needs.

Rachel Maclean: The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that local authorities should assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those who require supported housing, and reflect this in planning policies. We also published guidance in 2019 to help councils put policies in place to achieve this.In addition, as part of our recent consultation on a revised National Planning Policy Framework, we proposed additional wording which would explicitly set out that local authorities should plan for the needs of older people, including for retirement, housing with care and care homes. We will be publishing a government response to the consultation in due course.The Government has established an independent Older People’s Housing Taskforce and asked it to examine how to improve house options for people in later life and to make recommendations to Ministers. The taskforce is expected to make its report to Ministers in the spring of 2024.

Buildings: Safety

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will publish the names of companies that have not complied with measures contained in the Building Safety Act 2022 with regard to remediating historical building safety defects.

Lee Rowley: Once the Building Safety (Responsible Actors Scheme and Prohibitions) Regulations 2023 are in force, the Secretary of State will prepare, maintain and publish a list of any persons who are subject to the prohibitions set out in those regulations.

Housing: Construction

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to publish the technical consultation for the Future Homes Standard.

Lee Rowley: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 190088 on 22 June 2023

Independent Review into Civil Unrest in Leicester

Claudia Webbe: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has had recent discussions with Leicester councillors who have refused to cooperate with the independent review into civil unrest in Leicester.

Lee Rowley: I refer the Hon. Member to my answer to Question UIN 190748 on 28 June 2023.

Shared Ownership Schemes: Service Charges

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the average increase in service charges for shared ownership tenants in housing associations in the last two years.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of average changes in levels of rent for shared ownership tenants in housing associations over the last two years.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of average changes in levels of (a) rent and (b) service changes for shared ownership tenants in housing associations over the last two years on tenants affected.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to limit (a) rent and (b) service charge increases for shared ownership tenants in line with inflation.

Rachel Maclean: Shared ownership rents are increased annually in accordance with the terms of the lease. We are however aware of the impact that inflation has had on rents. That is why we welcome the fact that housing associations representing 95% of the sector's shared ownership homes have confirmed - through the National Housing Federation - that they will voluntarily limit rent increases to no more than 7% in 2023-24. We are pleased to note that a significant number of for-profit providers and local authorities have also chosen to adopt this approach. This is a sensible and proportionate measure to protect shared owners from particularly high rent increases, in response to cost of living concerns.   Service charges must reflect the cost of providing services to leaseholders and they should be supplied with clear information about how their charges are set, including any increases. If a shared ownership leaseholder is dissatisfied with this process, they can make an official complaint to their landlord. If this does not resolve the matter, they may be able to ask the Housing Ombudsman to investigate the complaint in some cases. The Ombudsman does not investigate complaints about the level of service charges (or the level of increase), but it may investigate complaints about the calculation, collection, or communication of service charges.The Government recognises that the existing statutory requirements do not go far enough to enable leaseholders to identify and challenge unfair costs. We will take action to support and empower leasehold homeowners and are due to bring forward further leasehold reforms later in this Parliament.

Department for Work and Pensions

State Retirement Pensions: Private Rented Housing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has he made of the potential merits of increasing the (a) State Pension and (b) Pensions Credit for people living in rented accommodation.

Laura Trott: No assessment has been made regarding increasing the State Pension, or Pension Credit for people living in rented accommodation. The Government remains committed to ensuring that older people can live with the dignity and respect they deserve, and the State Pension is the foundation of state support for older people. In April, the State Pension saw its biggest ever cash increase - rising by 10.1%. The full yearly amount of the basic State Pension will be over £3,050 higher in cash terms than in 2010. That is £790 more than if it had been uprated by Prices, and £945 more than if it had been uprated by earnings since 2010.The Standard Minimum Guarantee in Pension Credit has also increased by 10.1% from April 2023. It extends CPI protection to those who rely on the Standard Minimum Guarantee in Pension Credit at a cost of £700 million above the statutory minimum requirement. The same percentage increase will apply to the threshold for access to the Savings Credit for those who reached State Pension age before April 2016. Pensioners with a low income may qualify for help with their rent and council tax, and if receiving Pension Credit, other housing costs such as ground rent and certain service charges. The Government has also provided pensioners with additional payments to reflect the exceptional cost of living pressures.

Universal Credit: Employment

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of increasing work search requirements for universal credit claimants whose youngest child is aged three or above on the (a) welfare and (b) development of those children.

Guy Opperman: No assessment is planned on the potential impact of increasing work search requirements for Universal Credit claimants whose youngest child is three or above on that child’s welfare or development. However, evidence suggests that parental employment substantially reduces the risk of child poverty.

Social Security Benefits

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have received (a) Universal Credit, (b) Personal Independence Payment, (c) Employment and Support Allowance, (d) Disability Living Allowance for children and (e) housing benefit by gender in the last twelve months.

Tom Pursglove: Benefit statistics are regularly published on Stat-Xplore. Monthly statistics for people on Universal Credit by gender are available to May 2023. Quarterly statistics for people receiving Employment and Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance (Child) by gender are available to November 2022. Monthly statistics for those entitled to Personal Independence Payment by gender are available to April 2023. As Housing Benefit can be claimed by a household as well as an individual, it is not possible to assign only one gender to a household. Therefore, gender refers to the gender of single claimants only and is available by month to February 2023. Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required.

Treasury

Tolls

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the Government will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an independent commission to design a road pricing scheme that is (a) equitable and (b) helps raise revenue in the context of trends in the level of fuel duty revenue.

Gareth Davies: As set out in a letter to the Transport Select Committee in January 2023, the Government does not have plans to consider road pricing.

Carbon Emissions: EU Countries

Sarah Champion: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of linking the UK carbon border adjustment mechanism to the EU carbon border adjustment mechanism.

Gareth Davies: The government has recently consulted on potential future measures to mitigate carbon leakage risks, including the potential for a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The consultation closed on 22 June 2023, and the government will respond to the consultation in due course. In May 2023, the EU formally adopted their EU CBAM Regulation, which will start with a transitional (reporting) phase from 1 October 2023. The EU CBAM charge will not come in until 1 January 2026. Full details of the EU CBAM will be known when the EU adopt the required implementing and delegated acts. UK officials are continuing to closely monitor this process and are waiting to see these before building a full understanding of potential impacts on UK businesses and any interactions with domestic policy

Crown Works Studios

Julie Elliott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the Crown Works Studio project in Sunderland.

Gareth Davies: The Government is aware of the Crown Works Studio proposal in Sunderland and is supportive of investment which grows the film and high-end TV industry and creates more jobs and opportunities in the North East.The Chancellor has regular meetings with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, including the creative industries. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions are not normally disclosed.

Car Allowances

Sir Robert Buckland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has considered the potential merits of increasing the approved mileage allowance payments rates.

Peter Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the adequacy of Authorised Mileage Allowance Payments in the context of increases in the cost of fuel.

Peter Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of reforming the Authorised Mileage Allowance Payments system.

Peter Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to increase mileage rates.

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to amend approved mileage allowance payment rates for volunteer-led organisations.

Gareth Davies: As with all taxes and allowances, the Government keeps the AMAP rate under review. In considering changes to the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) rate, the Government has to balance the responsible management of public finances, which fund our essential public services with support for individuals.

Help to Buy Scheme and Individual Savings Accounts

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to take steps to review the (a) Lifetime ISA and (b) help-to-buy property price thresholds.

Andrew Griffith: The Government is committed to supporting people of all incomes and at all stages of life to save, and to making the aspiration of home ownership a reality for as many households as possible. Data from the latest UK House Price Index demonstrates that the average price paid by first-time buyers is below the LISA property price cap in all regions of the UK except for Inner London, where the average price paid is affected by Boroughs with very high property values. The Government keeps all aspects of the savings tax regime under review.

Individual Savings Accounts: Fees and Charges

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to reduce the Lifetime ISA withdrawal penalty.

Andrew Griffith: The LISA is designed to support people to achieve the aspiration of homeownership, or to build up savings for their later life. LISA funds, including any Government bonus, can be withdrawn for the purchase of a first home under £450,000, in the case of terminal illness or from the age of 60. Although the government recognises that some individuals may wish to access their LISA savings for purposes other than those listed above, the Government considers that the charge is needed to protect the LISA’s status as a long-term savings product. Removing or reducing the withdrawal charge would not be consistent with this and would encourage the use of LISAs in ways for which they were not intended. The Government keeps all aspects of the savings tax regime under review.

Personal Pensions: Property

Peter Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the restriction preventing the holding of commercial and residential properties within Self Invested Personal Pensions.

Peter Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing Self Invested Personal Pensions to hold (a) commercial and (b) residential properties.

Peter Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has held discussions with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on the potential effect on the availability of flats in town centres of allowing Self Invested Personal Pensions to hold residential properties.

Andrew Griffith: While the current tax rules impose no direct restrictions on the types of assets that Self Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) can invest in, SIPPs will incur tax charges if they acquire certain assets, such as residential property. This is to prevent individuals from using tax-relieved funds to acquire property that could be of personal use, rather than to secure future retirement income. However, SIPPs are able to indirectly invest in residential property through collective investment vehicles such as Real Estate Investment Trust (REITs), where sufficient diversity of ownership and assets prevents the possibility of private use of the assets. The legislation aims to strike a balance between allowing these pension schemes to invest in a wide range of assets, and the need to protect both tax relief on pension contributions and investment returns from potential abuse.

Sanitary Protection: VAT Exemptions

Emma Hardy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of applying a VAT exemption to (a) period pants and (b) bed mats.

Victoria Atkins: A zero rate of VAT has applied to women’s Period Products, including some reusable products, since 1 January 2021 and applies to those products which were previously subject to the reduced rate of 5 per cent. The Government has no plans to change the VAT treatment of wearable sanitary products or bed mats at present, but keeps all taxes under review

Parkinson's Disease: Cost of Living

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support is available for people with Parkinson’s disease with (a) gas and electricity bills, (b) food and (c) additional targeted support.

John Glen: The Government recognises that the rising cost of living has presented additional financial challenges, especially to the most vulnerable members of society such as disabled people and people with long-term health conditions like Parkinson’s disease. The Government extended energy support by keeping the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) at £2,500 from April through to June, saving the average household an additional £160. This brings the total Government support for energy bills to £1,500 for a typical household since October 2022. If individuals have extra-costs arising from their Parkinson’s disease, then they may qualify for disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Attendance Allowance (AA). If eligible for these benefits as a result of their Parkinson’s disease, individuals may have also been eligible for the two £150 Disability Cost of Living Payments the Government has delivered in 2022 and 2023. Those in need of further assistance may be able to access additional support through the Household Support Fund (HSF) in England. This allows Local Authorities to provide crisis support to vulnerable households, such as through supermarket vouchers or partnering with food banks. The Government has provided £1bn, including Barnett funding for the Devolved Administrations, to deliver the HSF this financial year.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

China: Tibet

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the press release by the UN entitled China: UN experts alarmed by separation of 1 million Tibetan children from families and forced assimilation at residential schools, published on 6 February 2023; whether he has had discussions with his Chinese counterpart in China on these findings; and if he will make a statement

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We are aware of reports that Tibetan parents are being coerced into sending their children to boarding schools in Tibet with no access to traditional Tibetan learning. We continue to raise the situation in Tibet with the Chinese authorities: at last month's UN Human Rights Council (HRC) we made a statement urging China to reverse its ongoing, serious, and systematic human rights violations in Tibet, and at the March UN HRC we raised the issue of boarding schools in our Item 4 statement. We also coordinate with partners to draw international attention to the human rights situation in Tibet. In April 2023, a G7 Foreign Ministers Communiqué noted that all G7 countries continue to raise concerns with China on human rights violations, including on Tibet. In June 2022, a UK-led lobbying effort helped to secure the support of 46 other countries for a joint statement at the HRC.

Vanuatu: Environment Protection

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps with the government of Vanuatu to mitigate climate-related environmental issues in the Pacific region.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Tackling climate change is a priority for Pacific Island countries and the UK is committed to helping those most at risk. At COP27, the UK and all parties agreed to establish new funding arrangements for loss and damage, including the setup of a dedicated fund to assist developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. The UK is also committed to helping climate vulnerable countries to better access finance through a new approach being pioneered by the UK co-led Taskforce on Access to Climate Finance. These investments are helping the most vulnerable adapt and build resilience to climate change.

Sri Lanka: Non-governmental Organisations

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding has been provided by his Department to non-governmental organisations registered in Sri Lanka (a) directly and (b) indirectly since 2018.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office publishes project spend on DevTracker and details can be found on GOV.UK. Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) programme data is published annually, with data for Sri Lanka available on GOV.UK from 2018 - 2022. Information on CSSF spend for 2022-23 will be published in due course on GOV.UK. Under the FCDO's International Programme between FY 18/19 to FY 22/23, we have contributed £519,492.40 with Sri Lankan registered NGOs receiving £489,492 directly and £30,000 indirectly.

Vanuatu: Environment Protection

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of Vanuatu’s role in mitigating environmental issues.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Vanuatu is one of the most climate vulnerable countries in the world. The UK supports Vanuatu's efforts in mitigating environment issues such as climate change. The UK worked closely with Vanuatu on its United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution requesting an Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on States' legal obligations on climate change which passed by consensus on 29 March. I [the Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific] discussed climate change with Prime Minister Kalsakau in November 2022 and Foreign Minister Napat in November 2022 and February 2023.

Russia: Wagner Group

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he held discussions with his Russian counterpart during the mutiny by the Wagner Group in June 2023.

Leo Docherty: The rebellion by the Wagner Group in June is an internal Russian matter. The Government responded to developments as the situation unfolded, including a COBR meeting chaired by the Foreign Secretary. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary remained in close touch with our allies throughout Saturday 24 June: the Foreign Secretary spoke to G7 and regional partners, and the Prime Minister spoke to President Biden, President Macron and Chancellor Scholz. We continue to follow the situation in Russia carefully.

Nagorno Karabakh: Armed Conflict

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to his Azerbaijani counterpart on the (a) closure of the Lachin Corridor and (b) attack on a metallurgical plant under construction in Yeraskh.

Leo Docherty: The UK Government has publicly highlighted the importance of re-opening the Lachin corridor and addressing related humanitarian concerns. I [Minister Docherty] visited Baku on 22-23 February to meet with senior representatives of the Azerbaijani government, including Foreign Minister Bayramov, and called for the re-opening of the Lachin corridor in those meetings. In addition, when the Foreign Secretary and I [Minister Docherty] hosted Foreign Minister Bayramov in London for the 5th UK-Azerbaijan Strategic Dialogue on 21-22 June, we welcomed recent progress towards a peaceful settlement in the conflict with Armenia.

Development Aid: Environment Protection

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether it remains his policy to spend £11.6 billion of aid on environmental programmes between the 2021-22 and 2025-26 financial years.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We are delivering on our commitment to spend £11.6 billion International Climate Finance (ICF). We spent over £1.4 billion ICF in financial year 2021/22 and will publish figures for financial year 2022/23 in due course.

Bilateral Aid

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the localisation of bilateral development programmes by increasing the amount of aid delivered through local organisations.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: On 27 April, I [Minister Mitchell] launched our campaign to re-invigorate the UK's leadership on international development. I pledged to work in patient, long-term partnership with people and governments around the world. We recognise that we need to transform our development partnerships, and that sustainable development must be led locally.Strengthening partnerships with national and local organisations, to boost impact and sustainability, builds on our commitments to the 2011 Busan Partnership and the 2016 Grand Bargain. We have also been vocal advocates of the OECD Development Assistance Committee Recommendation on Enabling Civil Society in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Assistance, which promotes investing in local civil society leadership.Our 2022 International Development Strategy affirmed that those who benefit from our work must have a voice in what we do, and how we do it. The difficult reforms and good policies that drive progress must be locally owned. Design, decision-making and delivery should involve local partners, who understand the context of the challenges to be addressed.We are reviewing our approach to central support for civil society. The future of our programming will align with strategic priorities including reducing bureaucracy and supporting patient and locally led development.

Sudan: Crimes of Violence

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support accountability for violence committed by (a) Rapid Support Forces and (b) Sudanese Armed Forces against (i) women, (ii) journalists and (iii) human rights defenders in Sudan.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK has consistently denounced all human rights violations that have taken place since the military coup on 25 October 2021, and the significant escalation of incidents since 15 April. The UK has funded organisations who are working with local partners to collect, verify and preserve digital content from the conflict, including incidents of significant abuses. This will play a vital role in amplifying voices of those who are being targeted and would be permissible in future accountability mechanisms should they be established. We continue to fund and provide support to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sudan, a UN body that provides a crucial role in monitoring and reporting on human rights violations. We are liaising closely with them as they now set up and run their remote monitoring mechanisms. We will continue to urge for an end the violence in international fora such as the UN Human Rights Council and Security Council, and call for those responsible for human rights violations to be held to account.

Tanzania: Ethnic Groups

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Tanzanian counterpart on reports of (a) forced evictions of, (b) excessive use of force against and (c) arbitrary detention of Maasai people in that country.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The British High Commission has met with the Government of Tanzania, Maasai community leaders and non-government organisation (NGO) representatives to better understand the challenges faced by all parties, and to support an open and constructive dialogue. It is clear from those discussions that meeting the needs of growing populations of pastoralists and livestock in ways that are environmentally and economically sustainable in northern Tanzania is a complex matter. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and support engagement by the parties involved, including to address any humanitarian issues.

Chad: Refugees

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to support (a) the authorities, (b) international organisations and (c) non-governmental organisations in Chad in their humanitarian support to refugees fleeing violence in Sudan.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK recognises the strain that the Sudan crisis is putting on neighbouring countries, such as Chad which is the second poorest country in the world and already hosting 400,000 Sudanese refugees in its eastern region. 141,000 additional people have sought refuge in Chad since the start of the Sudanese conflict. The UK rapidly allocated £2.75 million to provide urgent support to vulnerable Sudanese refugees and returnees. Of this, £1 million was provided to the Sahel Regional Fund to support non-governmental organisations provide protection and flexible humanitarian assistance according to needs, including on health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and shelter. £1.75 million was provided to the World Food Programme, to provide urgent food assistance and to preposition food stocks in Eastern Chad before roads become impassable due to seasonal floods. Alongside this commitment, the UK is pursuing all diplomatic avenues, including Ministerial and official-level engagement with regional counterparts, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and the African Union, to end the violence, de-escalate tensions and support neighbouring countries who are grappling with an influx of people.

Sudan: Humanitarian Aid

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to address obstacles to humanitarian access (a) at Port Sudan, (b) at other borders of Sudan and (c) between areas within that country; and whether he has had discussions with (i) international organisations, (ii) non-governmental organisations and (iii) his counterparts in states neighbouring Sudan on the potential for expanding humanitarian supply routes alternative to Port Sudan.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Unfortunately, humanitarian access into Sudan remains highly constrained, with Port Sudan the primary entry point for relief supplies. Onward distribution from Port Sudan is very limited, owing to the ongoing intense conflict and continued tight control by the warring parties of humanitarian operations within Sudan. The UK is working with the UN, neighbouring states, donors and humanitarian agencies to pressure the parties to abide by their commitments under international humanitarian law and allow lifesaving humanitarian aid to reach the Sudanese people, in particular those in harder-to-reach areas such as Darfur and Kordofan.

British Overseas Territories: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plan to offer contingent funding to Caribbean based British Overseas Territories in preparation for hurricane season.

David Rutley: The UK Government has plans in place to support the Overseas Territories in a range of scenarios where assistance may be required - such as in providing relief following a natural disaster - and keeps these under review, including in consultation with the Territories as appropriate.

British Overseas Territories: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help support British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean with their preparations for the hurricane season.

David Rutley: The UK works closely with Overseas Territory Governments to ensure preparations are in place for hurricane season. We support crisis management training, critical infrastructure resilience, and the ongoing development of regiments that specialise in disaster relief. This year, the UK co-funded the development of the new British Virgin Islands Disaster Management app which will provide alerts and information to keep the public safe during hurricanes and other crisis events. Royal Navy ships - including HMS Dauntless currently - provide a persistent presence for the Caribbean Hurricane Season and offer humanitarian assistance and support the Overseas Territories to respond to major events.

British Overseas Territories: Visits Abroad

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what British Overseas Territories he plans to visit in the next 12 months.

David Rutley: The Overseas Territories are an integral part of the British family. In addition to our ongoing support, visits by the UK Government reaffirms the unique bond between the UK and the Overseas Territories. This year, the Minister for Overseas Territories visited Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands and saw first-hand the positive impacts of UK and Overseas Territories partnership. Following a successful Joint Ministerial Council in May, we look forward to further engagement with the Territories including at the next summit and future visits to the Territories.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Deployment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many days it will take for the UK’s warfighting division from being requested to being deployable.

James Heappey: It is longstanding policy not to set out our readiness profiles to our adversaries. Elements of 3rd (UK) Division sit at very high readiness, whilst others sit at lower readiness.

Ammunition: Procurement

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much and what proportion of the (a) £2 billion announced in the Integrated Review Refresh 2023 to replenish and increase munitions stockpiles and (b) £560 million at the Autumn Statement 2022 will be allocated to manufacturers based in Wales.

James Cartlidge: Until all of the £560 million from the Autumn Statement 2022 has been contracted it is not possible to provide a breakdown of where the funding will be allocated.

Guided Weapons: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many missiles his Department plans to procure through the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon programme.

James Cartlidge: We do not disclose information or comment on missile stockpile requirements. To do so could prejudice the capability, effectiveness, or security of the Armed Forces.

Guided Weapons: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits of Italy’s participation in the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon programme.

James Cartlidge: The UK, with France, consider that Italian participation in the Future Cruise/Anti-Ship Weapon programme has the potential to reduce programme costs, increase supply chain resilience and generate wider prosperity opportunities. The Letter of Intent signed by the three nations at the Paris Air Show allows us to work together over the coming months to develop a more detailed, shared understanding of requirements, benefits and options. The indications from initial discussions are positive. Any formal decisions on Italian participation will be taken by the three nations during the programme's assessment phase which will complete in around 18 months.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) original date and (b) current out of service date is for the Protector drone programme.

James Cartlidge: At Main Gate in 2016 the Out of Service date was planned for 2035. It is currently planned for 2040.

Hercules Aircraft

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2023 to Question 163730 on Hercules Aircraft, who the Hercules C-130 will be sold to.

James Cartlidge: The onward disposal of the fleet is at an early stage, but the Defence Equipment and Sales Authority is working with several nations exploring potential sales on a Government-to-Government basis.

Hercules Aircraft

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2023 to Question 163730 on Hercules Aircraft, what estimate he has made of the revenue that will be received from the sale of Hercules C-130.

James Cartlidge: I am withholding the potential value of the sale as this could impact the sale strategy and/or prejudice our commercial interests.

Defence: Research

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Autumn Statement 2022, published on 17 November 2022, what recent progress his Department has made on (a) establishing and (b) allocating funding to the Advanced Technology Research Centre in Wales.

James Cartlidge: As detailed in the Autumn Statement, the UK Government will provide up to £10 million of support, subject to business case, to work collaboratively with the Welsh government to deliver a defence-focussed Advanced Technology Research Centre at Sealand in North Wales. The full business case for its funding allocation is nearing completion and working level engagement continues between the Ministry of Defence and the Welsh Government to implement the joint project.

Ukraine: Depleted Uranium

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) tanks capable of using depleted uranium shells and (b) depleted uranium shells the UK has supplied to Ukraine in the last three years.

James Heappey: In the last three years, the UK has supplied 14 Challenger 2 tanks capable of using depleted uranium shells to Ukraine, along with thousands of rounds of Challenger 2 ammunition including depleted uranium armour-piercing rounds. The precise quantity of ammunition provided is sensitive and cannot be disclosed.

Ukraine: Iodine

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has received a request from the Ukrainian government to supply iodine tablets.

James Heappey: In 2022, via the International Donor Coordination Centre, the Government received a request from Ukraine to supply iodine tablets. 5.5 million iodine tablets were donated by the EU. We have no current plans to supply Ukraine with further anti-radiation medication.

Defence Electronics and Components Agency: Defence Equipment & Support

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the merger of the Defence Electronics and Components Agency (DECA) and Defence Equipment and Support on (a) the number of staff employed by DECA in Wales, (b) DECA’s participation in the Sealand Support Services Limited joint venture and (c) DECA's other business operations (i) as of June 2023 and (ii) in the next three years.

James Cartlidge: Since merging with Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) in April 2023, the Defence Electronics and Components Agency (DECA) has continued to provide vital services across Defence. The merger secures the long-term future for DECA, and will deliver significant business growth and investment over the next three years, together with increased learning, development, and career opportunities for the workforce as part of a larger organisation. DECA's workload and capacity are expected to increase across all business operations over the next three years, thereby sustaining current employment levels of around 380 personnel at its avionics and electronics centre of excellence at Sealand in North Wales and 70 personnel located elsewhere in the UK. The merger has had no impact on DECA's participation in the Sealand Support Services Limited joint venture. As a part of DE&S, DECA will continue to work as a partner to industry in providing best value solutions to Defence for the support of avionics, electronics, and other specialised components. This will be both through assigned work, as a strategically retained in-house capability where this represents value for money, and through open competition.

Ammunition: Procurement

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had recent discussions with industry representatives on the potential for manufacturers based in Wales to help (a) replenish and (b) increase the UK’s munitions stockpiles.

James Cartlidge: Ministers and officials in the Ministry of Defence have regular and productive discussions with industry regarding both the replenishment of weapons and munitions granted to Ukraine, as well as potential opportunities to increase munition production. These ongoing discussions are with industry representatives from across the UK, including manufacturers with sites based in Wales.

Defence: Procurement

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many contracts his Department has signed as part of the £2 billion funding allocated in Spring Budget 2023 for stockpiles.

James Cartlidge: The Defence Command Paper Review will be published before Summer Recess. This will set out the priorities for Defence and will align Spring Settlement funding against current requirements as part of the Balance of Investments options.

Defence: Procurement

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Spring Budget 2023, how much of the £2 billion funding for stockpiles has been allocated as of 29 June 2023; and how many new contracts his Department has agreed through that funding.

James Cartlidge: The Defence Command Paper Review will be published before summer recess. This will set out the priorities for Defence and will align Spring Settlement funding against current requirements as part of the Balance of Investments options.

Ukraine: Military Aid

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many contracts have been placed through round (a) one and (b) two of the International Fund for Ukraine; and how much funding has been awarded in total.

James Cartlidge: As part of Urgent Bidding Round 1 of the International Fund for Ukraine, we have placed six contracts, with a total value of c.£64 million, for a range of systems which will provide Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Unmanned Aerial Systems, and Electronic Counter-Measures capabilities for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. No contracts have yet been placed as part of Urgent Bidding Round 2.

Armed Forces: Dogs and Horses

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) dogs and (b) horses in service with the Armed Forces have been euthanised in each of the last five years up to 28 June 2023.

James Cartlidge: Our working animals provide an invaluable service to our troops, and every effort is made to rehome them at the end of their service life. Decisions are taken by the Military Working Animal rehoming board following an extensive assessment of the animals and any potential new home. Sadly, there are some occasions where it is not possible to rehome an animal safely. Service animals are only euthanised for one of two reasons; either due to a veterinary condition causing unnecessary suffering or because the animal poses an unacceptable risk to public safety. Collation and verification of Military Working Animal End of Service data, including information on deaths and euthanasia, is undertaken annually. The below table reflects the number of Military Working Dogs (MWDs) and Military Working Horses (MWHs) euthanised in the calendar years 2018 to 2022. All were carried out by qualified veterinary surgeons. Calendar YearReason for EuthanasiaVeterinary condition causing unnecessary sufferingUnacceptable risk to safetyMWDsMWHsMWDsMWHs2018291110020191610502020186602021121110202216940

RFA Fort Victoria

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) original and (b) current out of service date is for RFA Fort Victoria.

James Cartlidge: The original and current out of service date for RFA FORT VICTORIA is 2028.

Defence

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 9 May 2023 to Question 182518 on Defence, whether he still plans to publish a refresh of the 2021 Defence Command Paper in June.

James Heappey: The Department intends to publish the Defence Command Paper Refresh before the Summer Recess.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much (a) artillery, (b) small arms, (c) anti-structure weapons, (d) anti-tank weapons and (e) anti-air ammunition his Department has provided to Ukraine since February (i) 2022 and (ii) 2014.

James Heappey: Since 2022, UK military aid to Ukraine has included over 200,000 artillery rounds, approximately five million small arms ammunition (including grenades and mortars), over 2,500 anti-structure munitions, over 12,000 anti-armour weapons, and over 1,500 anti-air weapons.No lethal military aid was provided to Ukraine between the period 2014 to December 2021.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel have been trained by UK troops under Operation Interflex.

James Heappey: To date, nearly 18,000 Armed Forces of Ukraine personnel have been trained by the UK under Op Interflex.

Army

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the military strength was of the Army as of 29 June 2023; and if he will provide a breakdown by (a) combat and (b) combat support personnel.

James Heappey: As at 1 April 2023, the British Army Trade Trained Regular strength was 70,985. Of this figure, 22,643 personnel were in combat roles, and 20,036 were in combat support roles. These are the most recently published official figures.

Ukraine: Military Aid

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the £2.3B of military support for Ukraine is fully committed; and when the end date for that support is.

James Heappey: The Ministry of Defence has a planned programme of activity in support of Ukraine in FY2023-24, totalling £2.3 billion. The nature of this support will be dynamic in response to changing operational circumstances but includes procurement, training and other operational activity. The final outturn will be provided in the Departmental Annual Report and Accounts.

Ukraine: Armed Conflict

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the number of Russian Armed Forces personnel in Ukraine (a) killed in action, (b) wounded and (c) deserted from their posts since 24 February 2022.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of Russian (a) main battle tanks, (b) armoured fighting vehicles, (c) fixed wing aircraft, (d) helicopters, (e) unmanned aerial vehicles, (f) ships, (g) artillery systems, (h) multiple-launch rocket systems and (i) other capabilities destroyed in Ukraine since 1 February 2022.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of Wagner mercenaries (a) killed in action, (b) wounded and (c) deserted from their posts since 24 February 2022.

James Heappey: We estimate that approximately 220,000 Russian military personnel have been killed or wounded since the start of the conflict. We estimate over 6,200 Russian armoured vehicles, including nearly 2,050 main battle tanks, 80 fixed wing aircraft, 95 helicopters, 250 unmanned aerial vehicles, 12 naval vessels of all classes, and over 1,000 artillery systems of all types have been destroyed since the start of the conflict. The specific number of Wagner mercenaries killed and wounded since late February 2023 is not clear, however the group highly likely continued to sustain heavy casualties before beginning to withdraw its forces from the Popasna-Bakhmut area in late May 2023.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Ukrainian pilots the UK Armed Forces has trained since February 2022.

James Heappey: The UK will begin basic training for up to twenty Ukrainian pilots in August.

Unmanned Air Vehicles: Procurement

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) original and (b) current whole life cost estimate is of the Protector drone programme.

James Cartlidge: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave him on 16 March 2023 to Question 163702.Unmanned Air Vehicles (docx, 18.0KB)

Ministry of Defence: Staff

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on (a) contractors and (b) agency staff in the last financial year.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Department does not categorise spend on contractors and agency staff separately from overall temporary staff spend and therefore these elements cannot be separated out. The most recent available figure for the Department's overall spend can be found in the Annual Report and Accounts for Financial Year 2022-22, which for temporary staff was recorded as £483.318 million.

Ministry of Defence: Vacancies

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of vacant posts in his Department have been filled by (a) contractors and (b) agency staff.

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of vacant posts in the Defence Nuclear Organisation have been filled by (a) contractors and (b) agency staff.

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of vacant posts in Submarine Defence Agency have been filled by (a) contractors and (b) agency staff.

Dr Andrew Murrison: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member’s Questions. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.

Attorney General

Crimes of Violence: Prosecutions

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Attorney General, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of prosecution of serious violent crime in London.

Michael Tomlinson: Serious violent crime encompasses many different crime types but is more commonly associated with drug crime, knife crime, gun crime and homicide.In 2022, CPS London prosecuted 10,675 defendants allocated the principal offence category of Drugs Offences with a conviction rate of 87.4%.In the same period, CPS London prosecuted 255 defendants allocated the principal offence category of Homicide with a conviction rate of 78.0%.In 2022, CPS London charged 3,734 knife crime offences under Section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and 2,624 offences under Section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953.In 2022, CPS London charged 1411 firearms offences under the Firearms Act 1968.

Rape: Prosecutions

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Attorney General, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of Operation Soteria on the level of prosecution for rape offences.

Michael Tomlinson: Operation Soteria is a significant step-change in Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Police ways of working to ensure national consistency in the approach to handling adult rape cases.Since the launch of Operation Soteria pilots, the CPS has observed consistent improvements in performance on rape prosecutions.For example, in CPS London North we have seen significant improvements in our prosecutions flagged as adult rape, with a 24% increase in the calendar year 2022 compared to 2021. Similarly, charging decisions on cases flagged as adult rape have also increased in CPS London North, by 41% in the calendar year 2022 compared to 2021.

Crime: Ukraine

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Attorney General, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the operation of the special mechanism of justice for the investigation and judicial examination of crime by occupiers in Ukraine announced by President Zelensky in April 2022.

Victoria Prentis: Accountability for Russia’s actions is one of the key tenets of UK foreign policy on the Ukraine crisis – alongside military, economic, and humanitarian support. The UK is genuinely a practical and thought leader on this.There are three broad strands to our work on accountability. First, the UK has provided expert assistance to assist Ukrainian investigators and prosecutors. Second the UK, alongside the international community, will continue to provide the International Criminal Court with the funding, people, and expertise to ensure justice is served. Third, we are exploring options to hold Russia accountable for the Crime of Aggression.On 20 January 2023, the Foreign Secretary announced that the UK had accepted Ukraine’s invitation to join a core group of States to shape thinking on how to ensure criminal accountability for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. On 4 March 2023 at the United for Justice conference in Lviv, it was announced that an International Centre for the Prosecution of Crimes of Aggression against Ukraine will be established in The Hague, within the structure of Eurojust’s Joint Investigation Team for Ukraine. I represented the UK at that conference.On 18 April 2023, the Foreign Ministers of the G7 countries issued a joint communiqué stating that they “support exploring the creation of an internationalized tribunal based in Ukraine’s judicial system to prosecute the crime of aggression against Ukraine.” On 26 June 2023 the Ukrainian Prosecutor General and I attended an event hosted by the Slynn Foundation which considered impunity and justice and accountability for Ukraine.I continue to have discussions on the principle and practicalities of accountability mechanisms with Cabinet colleagues, including the Foreign Secretary and Lord Chancellor on a regular basis. In addition, I have regular discussions with our Ukrainian allies and my international counterparts on these issues.

Department for Transport

Driving Tests

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people had to reapply for a theory test because their pass certificate expired in (a) 2018, (b) 2019, (c) 2020, (d) 2021 and (e) 2022.

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people had to reapply for their theory test because their pass certificate expired after they failed a driving test in (a) 2018, (b) 2019, (c) 2020, (d) 2021 and (e) 2022.

Mr Richard Holden: The validity period of the theory test certificate is 2 years. It is not possible to estimate how many of those will expire without the candidate being able to sit a practical test or having failed a driving test.

Buses: Carbon Emissions

James Daly: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many zero emission buses have been (a) ordered and (b) are currently operational.

Mr Richard Holden: We are committed to supporting the introduction of at least 4,000 zero emission buses and achieving an all zero-emission bus fleet across the UK. Since February 2020, across the UK, an estimated 4,193 zero emission buses have been funded, of which 1,288 have been ordered and 1,017 are on the road. These numbers are not official statistics: they are based on the latest information and are therefore subject to change. They do not include complete figures for the number of buses that have been ordered or on the road in the devolved nations.

M4: Speed Limits

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2023 to Question 186909 and 186508 on M4: Speed Limits, if he will make an assessment of the implications for this policy of trends in the level of use of (a) electric cares and (b) Euro V and Euro VI standard cars.

Mr Richard Holden: Our Zero Emission Vehicle Transition is expected to have a transformative effect on air quality right across our country. Over time, this transition to electric vehicles, plus the increasing proportion of newer petrol and diesel vehicles which emit less pollution than older petrol and diesel vehicles, will mean that levels of nitrogen dioxide will continue to fall. Once nitrogen dioxide concentrations meet legal limit values and Government is confident these levels will be maintained without the measure, National Highways will be able to remove the 60mph speed limit introduced to manage poor air quality on the westbound carriageway.

Unmanned Air Vehicles: Agriculture

Sir Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to regulate the use of agricultural drones.

Jesse Norman: Regulating the operation of drones is the responsibility of the Civil Aviation Authority. Implementing Regulation 2019/947 sets out a risk-based regulatory framework, which lays down detailed provisions for the operation of unmanned aircraft. The Future of Flight Industry Group has been established between Government, industry and the CAA in order to maximise the benefits of technologies such as drones whilst ensuring the safety of the UK aviation system.

Aviation: Compensation

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's news article entitled New plans to boost protections for airline passengers on of 27 June 2023, when his Department plans to begin further work on how to strengthen compensation for passengers facing disruption from cancellations and delays; and whether a proposed date has been set for the completion of that work.

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's news article entitled New plans to boost protections for airline passengers of 27 June 2023, when his Department plans to introduce strengthened (a) enforcement powers for the aviation regulator and (b) dispute resolution measures for passengers on flights operating to and from the UK.

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's news article entitled New plans to boost protections for airline passengers, published on 27 June 2023, whether his Department has had recent discussions with disabled (a) people and (b) people's organisations on its proposed reforms of aviation consumer policy.

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's news article entitled New plans to boost protections for airline passengers, published on 27 June 2023, when his Department plans to roll out training for ground handlers in handling mobility equipment.

Jesse Norman: The Government published the response to the Aviation Consumer Policy Reform Consultation on 27 June 2023. The response sets out findings from the consultation and next steps on the proposals. Responses to the proposals on compensation and refunds illustrated the complexity of the system and a range of competing factors and so the Government concluded further work is required to consider the merits and limitations of any changes in the area. The Government will consult on the compensation and payment framework for all forms of disruption. The Government will set out a timeframe for further consultation in due course. The legislative reforms to give the Civil Aviation Authority additional powers to enforce consumer rights and mandating Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for all airlines will be taken forward when parliamentary time allows. In the meantime, the Department will work with the industry and associated stakeholders to drive forward improvements for aviation consumers. The Government wants everyone to have equal opportunity to travel by air with dignity and respect. The Minister for Aviation chaired an Aviation Accessibility Roundtable on 28 June 2023 with disabled people, organisations representing disabled people, disability experts, members of both Houses of Parliament and the Disabled Persons’ Transport Advisory Committee. The roundtable considered the key issues and concerns that these passenger groups face and explored possible solutions to amplify their voice and improve the travel experience for disabled and less mobile passengers. The Department for Transport will continue discussions with these stakeholders. The Government launched the new training package for the Department for Transport’s REAL disability awareness training programme on 27 June 2023, to ensure those handling powered wheelchairs are aware of the impact any damage has for the user, with useful tips on handling this vital equipment.

Bicycles: Electric Vehicles

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's policy is on the regulation of electric bike conversion kits for pedal cycles.

Jesse Norman: Conversion kits of this sort are only legal for use on the public highway if, after conversion, the cycle meets in full the requirements of the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations 1983 (as amended), as well as conforming to all of the requirements of the Pedal Cycles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1983 (as amended). If, after conversion, the e-bike does not comply with these regulations, it is classed as a motorcycle and is subject to vehicle registration, compulsory insurance and vehicle excise duty. The rider must have a driving licence and wear a motorcycle helmet.

Airports: Fees and Charges

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent airlines from seeking additional payments for in person check-in at airports.

Jesse Norman: The UK aviation industry operates in the private sector. Airlines choose where to base aircraft, where to fly, what fares to charge, what in-flight service level to provide and which aeroplanes to use. However, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires all airlines to have fair terms and conditions. Contract terms would be deemed unfair if they create significant imbalance in favour of the business. The Civil Aviation Authority is responsible for ensuring that airlines comply with this legislative requirement. It conducted a review of airline contract terms in 2019, which included looking at fees for check-in and printing boarding passes at the airport. The report stated that whilst there is a rational and objective basis for the existence of such rules, they should be aligned to the actual administrative cost of the service. The CAA found that in some cases fees were not proportionate, and recommended that airlines review their fees so that they are more explicitly aligned to the actual administrative cost of providing the function. The CAA keeps the contract terms of airlines under review.

Railways: Business Premises

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has received representations from (a) Train Operating Companies and (b) railway station commercial tenants on rent rebates for business operators for days where industrial action has resulted in reduced footfall at railway stations.

Huw Merriman: The Department has received representations from train operating companies and railway station commercial tenants on rent rebates for days impacted by industrial action. However, these are matters for the commercial tenants and relevant train operating companies to resolve.

British Transport Police: Labour Turnover

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many British Transport Police officers have (a) been recruited, (b) passed probation, (c) been dismissed, (d) retired and (d) resigned in the last 12 months for which data are available.

Huw Merriman: ReasonNumber of OfficersRecruited315Passed probationNot available*Dismissed25Retired80Resigned157 * We are not able to provide data on the number of Police Officers that passed their probation during the same period, due to the data not being available.

British Transport Police: Assaults on Police

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many British Transport Police officers have been assaulted at work in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Huw Merriman: The latest information available is from April 2022 to 31 March 2023. In this period, 911 incidents of assaults against BTP officers at work was recorded (748 physical abuse, 163 verbal abuse).

Road Signs and Markings

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing signage at level-crossings to help tackle vehicle idling.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department has made no such assessment. Drivers are required to learn the Highway Code and rule 123 relates to unnecessary engine running. The rule states: "You MUST NOT leave a parked vehicle unattended with the engine running or leave a vehicle engine running unnecessarily while that vehicle is stationary on a public road. Generally, if the vehicle is stationary and is likely to remain so for more than a couple of minutes, you should apply the parking brake and switch off the engine to reduce emissions and noise pollution. However, it is permissible to leave the engine running if the vehicle is stationary in traffic or for diagnosing faults.”

Boats: Whales

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of orca attacks on sailing vessels in (a) UK and (b) international waters on maritime safety.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department for Transport has made no assessment of the potential impact of orca attacks on sailing vessels.

Shipping: Fuels

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a shipping fuel levy from 2025 on all (a) domestic and (b) international shipping from 2025, rising to a level consistent with the Government's carbon value by 2035.

Jesse Norman: On 3 July 2023 the UK ETS (Emission Trading Scheme) Authority confirmed its plans to expand the UK ETS to include emissions from domestic maritime, following on from our commitment to explore economic incentives in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan. The UK is pressing for greater ambition during the review of the International Maritime Organization Initial Greenhouse Gas Strategy in July and continues to monitor developments of international and regional carbon pricing instruments covering shipping to consider how they may interact with our domestic policy. The government keeps all taxes under review and any changes are announced by the Chancellor at fiscal events.

Church Commissioners

Church of England: Equal Pay

Cat Smith: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church has taken to close the gender pay gap.

Andrew Selous: For clergy across the Church of England, as officeholders they are paid a stipend rather than a salary. All bishops, male and female, receive the same stipend. All other clergy stipends are based on a national benchmark which is set by post, irrespective of the gender of the postholder.The Church of England last measured its clergy gender pay gap on 1st April 2022. Across the 42 dioceses of the Church, the difference in average stipend for male and female full-time stipendiary clergy was 0.3% in favour of men (with the mean stipend for male clergy being £28,288 and for female clergy £28,205). The gap has been calculated for full-time stipendiary clergy alone. As clergy do not work standard hours there is a difficultly in calculating an hourly rate for clergy, which is the standard method for calculating gender pay gaps. There are also difficulties in standardising part-time clergy in terms of full time equivalents, as we do not have complete information about the proportion of a full-time post. This is unlikely to affect the overall figure significantly as only 8% of stipendiary clergy were part-time (less than 1 full-time equivalent) and women made up only a small majority of part-time stipendiary clergy (54% compared with 46% men).The most recent Gender Pay Report from the National Church Institutions (NCIs) can be found here: national-church-institutions-2022-gender-pay-report-april-2023_0.pdf (churchofengland.org). 57% of the staff of the National Church Institutions (NCIs) are women. Since 2021 the representation of women has increased by 2% in the upper quartile, but the majority of women continue to be working in roles in the lower and mid-lower quartile. As the NCIs approached their pay negotiations in late 2022 and they considered the cost-of-living crisis effects on employees and affordability for the NCI charities, a focus was maintained on NCI values and on gender and ethnicity pay gaps.

Department for Business and Trade

Energy Intensive Industries: Government Assistance

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she plans to implement all the measures set out under the British Industry Supercharger scheme before April 2024.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The delivery mechanisms for implementation of the British Industry Supercharger are subject to ongoing consultation, with an expectation that they be rolled out sequentially between April 2024 and April 2025.

Iron and Steel: Manufacturing Industries

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the impact of electricity prices on (a) steel producers and (b) the steel industry.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Ofgem has previously carried out research on what drives comparatively high GB electricity prices for energy intensive industries (EIIs) and has compared these with selected European countries. Ofgem published a report in 2021 which can be found here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/research-gb-electricity-prices-energy-intensive-industries(opens in a new tab).The Government recognises that EIIs, including steel producers, are feeling the impact of high energy prices. The 2022 British Energy Security Strategy announced that the EII Compensation Scheme would be extended for a further 3 years.In February, we announced the British Industry Supercharger: a decisive set of measures aimed at reducing electricity costs for EIIs to bring them in line with those charged across the world’s major economies.We have already provided extensive energy costs relief to the steel sector since 2013, including through the Energy Bills Relief Scheme. Steel producers will continue to receive support until 31 March 2024 through the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Artificial Intelligence

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions she has had with external stakeholders on (a) Artificial Intelligence and (b) machine learning; and what plans she has for further discussions.

Paul Scully: The Government recognises the importance of engaging a broad community of stakeholders in the development of policy on artificial intelligence and machine learning. In May this year, the Prime Minister and I met with leading global AI labs – Anthropic, Google Deepmind, and Open AI, as well as a number of UK-led firms, many of which are doing cutting edge research and development, including the foundation models that underpin popular services such as chatGPT. Engagement has continued since then, and I am pleased that Ministers met with businesses, academics and civil society during London Tech Week and TechNExt festival in Newcastle. Prior to this, in preparation for the AI Regulation White Paper published in March, my officials engaged with or received feedback from over 130 different stakeholders and we have since continued with significant engagement as the policy develops.Throughout this all, such meetings help us to understand the wide range of views across the AI ecosystem and foster a responsible approach to governance and development that addresses risks while delivering innovation and growth.

Cystic Fibrosis

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to consult (a) the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and (b) other patient organisations in the implementation update for the O’Shaughnessy review recommendations.

George Freeman: The Government appointed Lord O’Shaughnessy to carry out an independent review into UK commercial clinical trials. Following publication of Lord O’Shaughnessy’s review on May 26, the Government made five headline commitments to improve the commercial clinical trials system and make it easier for revolutionary healthcare treatments to get to NHS patients, backed by £121 million. An update on implementation will be provided in Autumn, which will outline progress against these commitments as well as responding in full to the review recommendations. The O’Shaughnessy review was informed by leaders from across the UK clinical trials sector, including medical research charities, regional and national NHS leaders and national delivery partners including regulators. Implementation of the five headline commitments and the full review response will be informed by consultation with the UK clinical trials community including individual medical research charities and the Association of Medical Research Charities, of which the Cystic Fibrosis Trust is a member.

Wales Office

Question

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of increases in mortgage interest rates on rental costs in Wales.

Dr James Davies: The Secretary of State for Wales and I engage with colleagues across government on a range of issues.We recognise this is a concerning time for renters and those with mortgages. Whilst mortgage interest rates are a commercial decision for lenders, we expect lenders to treat all borrowers fairly. Buy-to-let borrowers facing financial difficulties should contact their lender to discuss the options available to them.

Question

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on improving air quality in towns and cities in Wales.

David T C Davies: My Department has regular discussions with the Welsh Government on steps to reduce emissions in Wales.Air quality is devolved and the responsibility of the Welsh Government. This UK Government has committed £20bn over the next two decades to reduce industrial emissions and drive up air quality across the UK.

Question

Sarah Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has had discussions with the Welsh Government on the adequacy of healthcare service provision in Wales.

David T C Davies: Healthcare is devolved to the Welsh Government, who have received record levels of funding.Recent analysis from Cardiff University showed that the Welsh Government has not prioritised healthcare spending in the way the UK Government has in England.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Energy Charter Treaty

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make it his policy to withdraw the UK from the Energy Charter Treaty.

Graham Stuart: The Government is assessing the evolving situation regarding Energy Charter Treaty modernisation and will keep the House informed of relevant developments.

Energy Charter Treaty

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the European Commission’s commitment to present legal proposals for a coordinated EU withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty.

Graham Stuart: The European Union does not have a bloc-wide position regarding the ECT. The UK is carefully monitoring developments of all Contracting Parties, including the EU, as it assesses the situation surrounding modernisation.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Yorkshire and the Humber

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the potential impact of the Humber industrial region's contribution to the total UK greenhouse gas output.

Graham Stuart: Greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) emissions estimates are published annually by the department at a local authority and regional level, including Yorkshire & The Humber. The latest publication covers 2005 – 2021.https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-local-authority-and-regional-greenhouse-gas-emissions-national-statistics This information – as well as emissions estimates for large point sources – is also viewable in emissions maps on the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI) website, maintained by Ricardo Energy & Environment:https://naei.beis.gov.uk/data/map-large-sourcehttps://naei.beis.gov.uk/laghgapp/

Energy: Smart Devices

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress his Department has made on (a) helping and (b) encouraging consumers to use smart technologies to help reduce (i) peak energy usage and (ii) overall demand on the energy grid.

Andrew Bowie: Since publishing the Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan in July 2021, government, Ofgem and industry have been working to remove barriers, facilitate change, and spur innovation to deliver a smart and flexible energy system. We are working in partnership with industry to ensure consumers can engage in flexibility and are protected when they do so. In Autumn 2022, National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) launched the Demand Flexibility Service (DFS), allowing them to pay consumers to turn down their demand when there might be a shortage of electricity. The Government is working with the ESO as they review the DFS.

National Grid

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking with network operators to increase grid capacity at (a) transmission and (b) distribution level.

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to increase the capacity of the electricity grid while the Future System Operation is established.

Andrew Bowie: The Government is committed to expanding electricity network capacity to accommodate new clean sources of electricity generation and demand, as set out jointly with Ofgem in the Electricity Networks Strategic Framework.Ofgem has already accelerated nearly £20bn of strategic transmission projects to increase grid capacity to support the government’s 2030 renewables ambition and has allowed £22.2bn for distribution networks to expand capacity ready for low-carbon technology growth.The government is establishing a new Future System Operator with responsibilities across both the electricity and gas systems, including strategically planning the networks to further support grid investment decisions.

National Grid: Renewable Energy

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of lead times for connecting renewable energy projects to the grid.

Andrew Bowie: Years of world-leading green investment has meant network operators have experienced record demand for connections to the electricity network. We have increased the amount of renewable energy connected to the grid more than sixfold since 2010. Government is working with Ofgem and network companies to release network capacity and improve the connections process, to accelerate connections. Actions already underway by network companies are expected to see a reduction in transmission connection timescales of 2-10 years, for the majority of existing projects. Building on this work, the Government and Ofgem will publish a joint action plan on accelerating connections this summer.

Carbon Emissions

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to respond to the consultation entitled Addressing carbon leakage risk to support decarbonisation, published on 30 March 2023.

Graham Stuart: The consultation ‘Addressing carbon leakage risk to support decarbonisation’ closed on 22 June 2023, and received significant interest and a large number of responses. The consultation sought views and evidence from a broad range of stakeholders on the best possible mix of policies to manage carbon leakage risk in a fair and transparent way. The Government will consider the responses to the range of complex policy issues within the consultation and issue its response as soon as possible.

Renewable Energy: Investment

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what criteria his Department uses to determine investment in emerging energy technologies.

Graham Stuart: The Government set out the criteria it uses to prioritise investment in emerging net zero technologies in the UK Net Zero Research and Innovation Framework Delivery Plan. These are: i) Maximising UK strategic advantage and developing UK energy security – focusing on the highest potential for UK business opportunities and jobs; ii) Expected contributions to delivering the UK’s carbon budgets and major decarbonisation; iii) Retaining optionality of different net zero pathways – investing in a portfolio of solutions.

Environment Protection: Planning Permission

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on the adequacy of the planning system for building clean energy projects.

Graham Stuart: The Department has been working closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on delivering the proposals in the published Action Plan for reforming and speeding up the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project planning process. An important part of these reforms involves updating and strengthening the National Policy Statements for energy. The consultation on the National Policy Statements closed on 23 June and the Government remains on track to present them to Parliament and bring them into effect by the end of 2023.

Electricity: Iron and Steel

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help the steel industry access competitive wholesale electricity prices.

Amanda Solloway: Powering Up Britain – Energy Security Plan sets out the steps the Government is taking to ensure the UK is more energy independent, secure and resilient as well as our goal for Britain to have among the cheapest wholesale electricity prices in Europe by 2035. The Government has also announced new measures to support Britain’s Energy Intensive Industries (EIIs) faced with high electricity prices. The British Industry Supercharger will reduce policy costs by exempting eligible firms from the costs of renewable energy obligations and the GB Capacity Market. It will offer support with network charges and bring an increase in the capacity market exemption, for which we have just carried out a public consultation. This is in addition to other ongoing support providing compensation for the indirect costs of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme and the Carbon Price Support mechanism.

Energy: Prices

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will conduct an equality impact assessment of the potential impact on consumers of paying green levies on energy bills in the next 12 months.

Amanda Solloway: From July 2023, the Ofgem price cap will be set at £2,074, below the EPG discount level of £3,000 for a typical household. This means that customers will pay the full unit rate for their energy, including contributions to environmental and social schemes. The cost of these schemes has always been included in the Ofgem price cap and is not additional. The government does not routinely conduct an equality impact assessment of a new retail price cap level. Levies more than pay for themselves by driving investment in renewables and providing vital support to low-income and vulnerable households.

Energy: Profits

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent estimate his Department has made of potential excess profits in the energy sector.

Amanda Solloway: In the retail energy sector Ofgem has designed the energy price cap on household default tariffs so that retail prices include a modest allowance for profit. The non-domestic supply sector doesn’t have a price cap as there has been no evidence to date of excessive profits, and prices are determined based on individual supply contracts. Ofgem is carrying out a review of the business energy supply market. The Energy Profits Levy is a temporary 35% surcharge on exceptional profits and comes on top of 40% headline tax rate applied to profits from UK oil and gas production, bringing the overall combined tax rate to 75%.

Housing: Energy Performance Certificates

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent estimate he has made of when all residential buildings will be at an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C or above.

Graham Stuart: The Government set out an aspiration in the Clean Growth Strategy for as many homes as possible to reach EPC Band C by 2035 where cost-effective, affordable and practical. There has been good progress improving the energy efficiency of households. 47% of homes in England have reached the Government’s 2035 target of achieving EPC C levels, up from 14% in 2010.